Lowry Joins Love III and Louis Oosthuizen

Shane Lowry

Shane Lowry ended a disappointing week on a thrilling note with a hole-in-one in the final round of the Masters at Augusta National on Sunday.

Lowry holed out with an eight iron on the 16th in a final-round 75, his tee shot landing in the perfect spot to the right of the hole and trickling down the slope into the cup.

"It was amazing to have a hole-in-one on 16 around here in the final round," Lowry said. "I just wish I would have been able to come up with more birdies, but it was a perfect shot.

"I just hit it in right of the hole and (the slope) just took it down and in. I feel pretty lucky to have a hole-in-one around this place, in this tournament. It's nice. I'm sure I'll get a picture somewhere and frame it in the house and it will be a nice memento to have."

After picking the ball out of the hole, Lowry motioned as if he was going to throw it into the crowd, but added: "No, I wasn't giving the ball away. My last hole-in-one in competition my parents were there as well in Dubai and I still have the ball from that. So I feel like I'll keep that one."

Lowry was just two shots off the lead after an opening 68, but fell out of contention with a 76 on Friday and struggled to a 79 in Saturday's third round.

"Yesterday it was just a tough day and I just let it get away from me," added the 29-year-old. "Friday didn't go too well obviously either. I feel like my game wasn't there, I didn't hole enough putts. I made a few bad decisions.

"I feel like I could have done a lot better and I'm a bit disappointed with the week as a whole. When I sit back and look at it, this week will definitely help me in the future. So I've got to look at it that way.

"There's a lot of good positives to take out of it. I feel like my iron play was quite good for most of the week, just a few bad breaks here and there the last couple of days and I feel like I could have been a little bit closer to the lead, but that's the way major golf is and that's the way this course is.

"Every week you play a major, especially the Masters, is a learning curve and I learned a lot this week and I'm sure I'll take it with me in the future."

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McIroy Must Make Most of Par 5's - Montgomerie

Colin Montgomerie, Sky Sports

Colin Montgomerie believes Rory McIlroy needs to continue to make the most of the par-fives and cut out the mistakes in his game after a steady start to the Masters.

The world No 3 bogeyed the last hole to close a two-under 70 and sit four shots adrift of early pacesetter Jordan Spieth, with the four-time major champion having the most success on Augusta's longer holes.

McIlroy carded an eagle and two birdies when tackling the par-fives on Thursday, which Montgomerie feels keeps the Northern Irishman in contention.

"He has played them in his four under which he had to do and that has kept them in it," Montgomerie told Sky Sports. "He is driving the ball magnificently and he'll be very disappointed with his finish after the driving the ball so brilliantly.

"He has done what he has to do and he has to keep doing that over the next three days. He has to keep birdieing these par-fives. If he does that, then he has a chance.

"The rest of the course he played in two over, which isn't that great, but those par-fives have kept him in the top 10.

"There were four dropped shots from Rory, which is four too many for someone as good as Rory. He has got to cut out the unforced errors like at 18 if he is to beat Jordan Spieth.

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McIlroy Heads One Direction at Augusta

Niall Horan

It's a year since One Direction star Niall Horan took a tumble as he caddied for Rory McIlroy at the annual Masters Par 3 Contest.

Most players treat the contest as light relief and invite family or friends to act as their caddies, and Horan's blossoming friendship with McIlroy resulted in the singer being asked to caddie for the then world No 1 at Augusta.

Horan certainly was not the first caddie to find the hazard when given the chance to tee it up at the final hole, but worse was to come as he slipped on the pine straw just as the pair were about to be interviewed by Kirsty Gallacher.

But despite his stumble, Horan admitted it was an enjoyable experience.

"It's just great to be at Augusta," Horan told Sky Sports 4. "I knew about a year ago I had the time off to come to the Masters. Then I met this man (McIlroy) and he asked me, 'did I want to carry the bag on Wednesday?' Of course, if the world No 1 asks you to carry his bag, you carry it!"

On getting to play in front of a large crowd, he added: "I can't say I've been that nervous in a long time! It was tough, but it was alright! It's great to be around Rory. It's a big week for him and hopefully come Sunday he'll have a green jacket on his back."

McIlroy added: "The deal was if I made him hit a shot here, they're playing in Boston when I'm there at the end of summer and I'll have to go up on stage and maybe sing a few lines, so (I'm) not looking forward to that!

"It has been a great afternoon and he’s a great sport for doing it."

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Veteran McCluskey Caddies for GMAC

GMAC and Kevn McCluskey

US Army veteran Kevin McCluskey caddies for Graeme McDowell in the Par 3 event at the Masters eight years after having both legs blown off in Afghanistan and also losing all sight in his right eye.

McCluskey, who is from Philadelphia and served with the 101 Airborne Division in Afghanistan, said that he had been left "speechless" by McDowell's offer.

2010 US Open champion McDowell, whose two-under-par total left him six behind winner Jimmy Walker in the Par Three event, said that McCluskey's battles "puts life and golf in perspective".

"I hit a roadside bomb. I lost both my legs. One above the knee and one below the knee. I have a fake hip and a fake pelvis," said the US Army veteran.

"I lost a lot of motion in my wrist but I'm getting it back to normal now.

"I had shrapnel go through my face so I'm blind in my right eye but other than that I'm good. My mind is good.

"I've a beautiful family, a beautiful wife and many friends at home. Everybody has just helped me get back to where I need to be."

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Player Sparked McIlroy Improved Fitness

Rory McIlroy - Getty Images

Nine-time major winner Gary Player has revealed he sparked Rory McIlroy's improved fitness by telling the Northern Irishman he was carrying too much weight.

World No 3 McIlroy, bidding to complete a career grand slam by claiming a first Masters title this week, has said he tries to follow the "fine example" set by the 80-year-old South African, who is a pioneer of diet, health and fitness.

Player did not mince his words when advising the Ryder Cup star a few years ago.

He told McIlroy, according to the Daily Mail: "You need to get fit Rory, look at that weight you're carrying. You need to strengthen your core."

McIlroy was then invited by Player to punch him in the stomach, and was shocked when - after a couple of tentative attempts - he landed a harder blow on the veteran, admitting: "It's like punching a wall. You're right, I do need to get fitter."

Player expects the 26-year-old's new gym-honed physique to serve him well in his future career.

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McIlroy All Smylie After Second Austin Win

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Rory McIlroy, if not exactly firing on all cylinders, made it two wins from two matches in his defence of the WGC-Dell Matchplay championship with a 3 and 1 victory over American Smylie Kaufman in the second day of group play.

As McIlroy marched on in pursuit of back-to-back wins in the championship, with a final group match against Kevin Na set to decide who progresses, there was only disappointment for Shane Lowry, who went from a position of strength in his match with Australian Marcus Fraser, three up at the turn, to collapse on the back nine and end up with only a halved match that ended any chance of progression into the knockout phase.

“Is there any point me coming down?” Lowry enquired forlornly to his caddie Dermot Byrne after hitting his tee-shot on the Par 3 17th into the hazard.

There wasn’t, the ball was never found, and despite Byrne’s best efforts, the ball was never found and that poor tee shot in effect – leading to a bogey on that hole for the second day in a row – ended Lowry’s hopes in the championship a day early. His final group match against Zach Johnson will be purely a matter of pride.

Lowry had started like a train – a birdie-birdie start giving him a two hole lead – and he turned three up and seemingly in total control only to lose the 10th and 11th to birdies and the match was back to all-square after Fraser holed from off the green on the 14th.

For McIlroy, there was again a doggedness about how he went about his business in his pursuit of defending the title. Just as his opening group match with Thorbjorn Olesen swung his way late on, he benefitted from the travails of his opponent, Kaufman, who hit one water ball after another on the homeward run.

McIlroy was one up through the turn but lost the 10th and 11th in what appeared to be a momentum- changer to go one down. He didn’t need to produce any heroics of his own, however, to regain the initiative as Kaufman was twice in the water on the 13th and again found water on the 14th for McIlroy to go all-square and then move one up.

Kaufman’s woes were evident again on the 17th, where a pulled tee shot into the same territory as Lowry ahead of him had found resulted in a concession of the hole and the match to McIlroy. The Northern Irishman will complete his group stage against Kevin Na in a winner-takes-all conclusion to see who advances to the last 16.

“It was nice not to go down the last but then it was a little scary at the start of the match, but I’m happy Smylie did concede there at 17 and I move,” said McIlroy, adding: “I certainly feel now after these two days that the longer the match goes on the better my chances are . . . the pleasing thing over the last couple of days is that when I needed to play some of my best golf, I have been able to do that.”

McIlroy made it two wins from two, as did Patrick Reed with a comprehensive 4 and 3 win over England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick to set up a showdown with Phil Mickelson.

Jordan Spieth also made it two wins from two with a 5 and 4 win over Victor Dubuisson.

Graeme McDowell’s involvement came to an early end, as he halved his match with England’s Paul Casey. 

Jason Day, who suffered a back injury in defeating McDowell on Wednesday, received intensive physiotherapy to enable him to play and confirmed his well being with a 5 and 3 win over Thonghai Jaidee that has the Australian set to move on to the knockout phase.

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McIlroy Cards Four Score

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Rory McIlroy is in danger of missing the cut in his home event for the third year running after a nightmare first round at the Irish Open.

The world No 1 carded his worst first nine of the season, reaching the turn in 41, and never recovered as he shot a nine-over 80 - his highest round since the final round of the 2011 Masters. 

Both McIlroy and Ryder Cup team-mate Martin Kaymer failed to post a single birdie in windy conditions at Royal County Down, as playing partner Rickie Fowler opened with a level par 71 to stay within two of the early lead.

McIlroy came in to the event having missed the cut in his defence of his BMW PGA Championship title last week and despite insisting he felt refreshed after an unexpected weekend off, opened with a missed 15-foot birdie chance at the 10th and a dropped shot at the next.

The tournament host found the par-five 12th green in two but could only three-putt from long range, before things went from bad to worse with a run of four consecutive bogeys from the 15th.

After finding the bunker off the 16th tee and making another three-putt at the 18th, McIlroy eventually stopped the rot with a two-putt par for par at the first. 

The four-time major winner slipped further adrift after missing the green at the par-three fourth, adding a seventh bogey of the day at the next when a clumsy chip left him a long way from the flag.

A 12-foot birdie putt at the sixth appeared on line before slowing inches short of the cup, with McIlroy sending his tee-shot on the par-three seventh onto the wrong fairway to card another blemish. 

McIlroy bogeyed the eighth but looked set to make his first gain of the day at the par-four ninth, finding the green in two before sliding his birdie putt several feet past the cup.

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Rory McIlroy Double Winner

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Rory McIlroy has been chosen as Golfer of the Year and Players' Player of the Year at the European Tour Awards.

The world number one secured the double after a year in which he won the Open and the US PGA Championship as well as playing in Europe's Ryder Cup triumph.

The 26-year-old's last 10 European Tour finishes have seen him claim five victories and three runners-ups places.

"I am just trying to keep going and increase that tally," said McIlroy.

"There is a lot to play for this year. I have got off to a great start and I just need to continue that."

Brooks Koepka, from the United States, was another double winner as he received the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award and the Challenge Tour Graduate of the Year Award, after winning November's Turkish Airlines Open to go with four other top-10 finishes.

There were also celebrations for the full Ryder Cup team, while Welshman Jamie Donaldson won the Shot of the Year award for the approach which sealed the winning point at Gleneagles.

The European players were joined on stage by former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson who was invited by captain Paul McGinley to address the team before the start of the September 2014 contest.

McIlroy noted: "Even with all the personal success I have had over the past year, the Ryder Cup was the most enjoyable week."

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