Rory Augusta Ready

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Rory McIlroy gave himself something to build on heading into the Masters with a final-round 65 at the Shell Houston Open on Sunday.

Although he started and finished the day well out of contention after a 74 on Saturday, McIlroy could afford a smile after a bogey-free round which matched the low score of the week so far.

“It was a good way to end the week, obviously,” McIlroy said on the PGA Tour website.

“I wanted to shoot something in the 60s at least today to give me some positive vibes going into Augusta. I played really well, played really solid from tee-to-green again.

“I holed the putts that I felt I should hole and just kept the ball in play all day. Every time I hit it pretty close, within 10 feet, I holed the putt. It was great to see a few putts like that drop. It’s a nice bit of confidence going into next week.”

Saturday’s 74 had left McIlroy down in 37th place, and although he had done enough to climb back into the top 10 by the time he finished his round he could expect to drop again as the rest of the field followed him home.

That, however, was not his concern as he prepared to travel to Augusta.

“I’m happy with how this week went, even though I didn’t quite do what I wanted to do in terms of getting in contention,” he said. “But I sort of made up for it today. I couldn’t be in a better mood getting on the plane and heading over (to Augusta) tonight.”

Overnight leader Matt Kuchar was still top of the leaderboard after picking up one shot over the first 13 holes, but was coming under pressure from Matt Jones who was five under after 14, overhauling Sergio Garcia for second place.

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Padraig Ends Masters Era

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Padraig Harrington suffered problems with the middle finger of his left hand on the 15th tee of the Shell Houston Open second round and had trouble gripping the club. As the Dubliner waited for medical personnel to arrive and treat him, the group behind played through.

Harrington then made two bogeys and a closing triple bogey on the last three holes en route to missing the cut by four shots with a second round 79 - ending his presence next week in Augusta.

“I couldn’t put any pressure on (the finger) and tighten it,” said Harrington, adding he felt no pain. “By the end of the round, I don’t think I was even gripping with that finger.”

Harrington said the medic on the tee stretched his finger, applied cream and gave him anti-inflammatory medication. “He did everything he could, but it needed time,” Harrington said.

Meanwhile Sergio Garcia was on his way in the other direction after posting a 7-under par 65 and matching the course 36-hole record of 12 under overall after the second round of the Shell Houston Open on Friday.

As well as Garcia played in taking a one-shot lead over Matt Kuchar, the focus afterward was a mix of this week -- with a heavy dose of attention turned toward next week's Masters.

Garcia has eight PGA TOUR wins in his career, but the 34-year-old world No. 8 -- once thought to be Tiger Woods' challenger for the top spot in the world -- is still in search of his first major championship.

He'd like nothing more than end that quest next week, while taking full advantage of his prep time at the Golf Club of Houston's Augusta National-like conditions for the rest of this weekend.

"I mean, obviously I feel good, but every week is different," Garcia said. "First of all, we got to finish this week, and hopefully next week I'll be feeling good (and) not too many things will be bothering me health-wise, and then just feel good on the course, hopefully play well and things happen."

Garcia, opening on the back nine, climbed the leaderboard with a birdie-eagle-birdie stretch on his front nine. His eagle on the par-5 13th came after sticking his 282-yard second shot to 5 feet, giving him a 4-shot lead following his morning round.

Kuchar, who opened with a 6-under 66 on Thursday, briefly tied Garcia at 12 under late in his afternoon round before closing with a bogey from the fairway bunker on the 18th.

The two will be paired with Matt Jones on Saturday after tournament officials decided to send threesomes off both tees early in the morning in an attempt to beat expected rain in the afternoon.

"If we get some rain and it doesn't blow too hard, of course the course will soften up and the scores will go even lower," Kuchar said. "No telling ... It could be really tough."

The weather was the clearest it's been all week on Friday, with the sun shining brightly and the wind gusting throughout the day at the 7,441-yard Golf Club of Houston.

The windy conditions limited first-round co-leader Bill Haas to a 2-over 74. Charley Hoffman, the other first-round leader, fell to 3 under par overall after a 4-over 76.

Darren Clarke carded to rounds of 75 and misses the cut.

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Harrington Hits Houston 69

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Padraig Harrington kept his hopes of qualifying for next week’s US Masters alive with an opening 69 in the Shell Houston Open.

Harrington has to win on Sunday to avoid missing out on a trip to Augusta for the first time since 1999 and got off to an encouraging start at the Golf Club of Houston.

The 42-year-old Dubliner started on the 10th and holed from eight feet for an opening birdie before picking up another shot on the par-five 13th.

Harrington dropped a shot on the next after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker but quickly made amends with birdies on the 17th and 18th to reach the turn in 33.

A three-putt bogey on the third halted the former Ryder Cup star’s momentum, but birdies on the fourth and sixth had him high on the leaderboard before a disappointing bogey on the ninth, his final hole.

At three under par, Harrington — whose last victory on a major tour came in the 2008 US PGA Championship — was three shots behind early clubhouse leaders Keegan Bradley and Matt Kuchar.

Bradley, who won the US PGA in 2011, carded six birdies in a flawless 66 that was matched by Kuchar in the group behind, the world number 11 missing from seven feet for birdie on his final hole to take the outright lead.

Bradley’s playing partners Webb Simpson and Phil Mickelson were also off to a good start, the pair returning rounds of 68 to join South African Ernie Els on four under par.

Open champion Mickelson had been a doubt for the event with a pulled muscle which forced him out of the Valero Texas Open last week, but the left-hander showed no ill effects as he carded four birdies and no bogeys.

Els looked set to finish five under but dropped his only shot of the day on the 18th after twice finding sand.

Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, who can replace the injured Tiger Woods as world number one with a victory in Houston, was five off the lead after a one-under-par 71.

Rory McIlroy was off to a promising start with three birdies and no bogeys in his opening ten holes and it could have been even better as he missed good chances at the opening three holes.

Darren Clarke was three over after his front nine.

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Rory Adds Shell Houston Open

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Rory McIlroy has formally committed to play in the Houston Open, which takes place two weeks before The Masters.

The two-time major champion and current No. 1 player will make his third start in the event and his first since 2010. This year, as part of his "6 Bags" charity drive, McIlroy will use a bag emblazoned with the logo of Chinquapin Prep, a Houston-area school for disadvantaged youth. The bag will be auctioned off through McIlroy's foundation and all proceeds will go to the school.

Louis Oosthuizen and Lee Westwood are among the other top international players committed to play in Houston.

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Clarke in Masters Fitness Test

Darren Clarke is facing a race against time to be fit to play in the Masters.

The Open champion limped off the course at the Houston Open on Friday, having strained a groin muscle during his second round of 71.

Clarke felt the injury while completing his rain-delayed first round on Friday morning but played on through the pain barrier to complete his second round.

"I wanted to keep going as I need to play all four rounds before the Masters," said Clarke.

Clarke's second round of 71 put him one under for the tournament and he looked certain to miss the cut by one.

Graeme McDowell completed his second round on Saturday and his 69 left him on five under and seven behind leader Jeff Maggert.

Padraig Harrington was on the projected cut mark of two under after a 73.

“I've had these type of injuries in the past and there's not much you can do but rest”

Clarke earned a five-year Augusta National exemption in winning last year's Open championship and he will be competing in the event for the first time since 2007, when he missed the cut.

On completion of his second round in Houston, it was suggested by Clarke's personal trainer that he attend a local doctor to assess the full extent of his injury, but he declined.

"I've had these type of injuries in the past and there's not much you can do but rest," Clarke insisted.

"It's a really long walk around this golf course and I could have come in after three to four holes this morning. It seemed okay when I finished my first round today but it just got progressively worse in the second round," he said.

McDowell Suffers Slow Shell Start

Graeme McDowell was left to rue a poor start and finish to an opening round, two under par, 70 in the Shell Houston Open at Redstone Golf Club in Texas. 

In the final event before next week’s US Masters at Augusta National GC, McDowell was looking to build on his excellent form of late.

Having started on the 10th tee he suffered a double bogey at the par four, 12th but demonstrated his mettle with birdies on the 15th and 18th to turn in level par, 36. He continued that momentum with a hat-trick of birdies from the fourth to the six holes to move to three under for the tournament, holing from 16 feet, 11 feet and six feet. 

However the par five eighth, his 17th hole was to prove something of a card wrecker. He hit a relatively short tee shot, and then pushed his second, short right into a bunker. From there he thinned it across the green and into the water on the far side. Having taken a penalty drop, he chipped to six and a half feet, holing well to drop just the one shot. 

On his final hole, the 209 yard, par three, ninth, he found the middle of the green with his tee shot, 34 feet from the pin. His first putt finished about two and a half feet short of the cup and he tidied up to complete his round with possibly, mixed feelings. 

He trailed the early leader Carl Pettersson, who was seven under with one hole to play.