ABU DHABI // Rory McIlroy was the nearly man yet again at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
Not even a raking putt for eagle on the final green was enough, with the world No 3 missing out by two shots to Rickie Fowler to record a sixth top-three finish in seven years. Four of those have been runners-up.
So another close call; another one that felt like it got away.
“I wasted a lot of opportunities out there this week,” McIlroy said. “So it really is a story of what might have been.”
It certainly was. Improve upon the middle 18 holes across Rounds 3 and 4, and McIlroy could have finally got his hands on the Falcon Trophy.
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Beginning that stretch early Sunday and concluding late that afternoon because of weekend fog, he played it in 1 over-par, meaning there was simply too much ground to make up at the event’s business end.
When all was said and done, McIlroy’s 68 left him on 14-under and just two shy of Fowler’s ultimate mark. A win in the UAE capital continues to elude him.
“Seems like this could be the tournament I just can’t quite master,” McIlroy said. “It isn’t quite the result I wanted obviously, but a lot of positives to take from it.”
Chiefly, McIlroy’s ball-striking was on point, as portrayed by his second shot from 250-plus yards on the last which set up eagle, while he concedes to always struggling with reading the National Course greens. Once a few slide by, McIlroy says, the doubt creeps in.
“That’s why I just have to stay with it and stay patient and just try to hit good putts,” he said. “Sooner or later they’ll drop.”
He is confident a 20th professional victory will soon be his. It was not necessarily bravado from the four-time major champion, just simply an underlying conviction in his own ability.
“If I holed every putt that everyone thinks I should make then I win by 10,” he said. “That’s just what it is.”
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Perhaps the recent eye surgery will help. McIlroy now has his first 72 competitive holes in the bag following the operation last month, although he insists it is more to improve life away from the course. And anyway, he has yet to see immediate results on it.
“After one week I wouldn’t say it’s done my putting much good, but we’ll see,” McIlroy said with a laugh. “Maybe it’ll develop.”
A developing theme this season will be McIlroy’s predicted rivalry with Jordan Spieth. The world No 1 finished tied-fifth on his Abu Dhabi debut, three shots worse off than McIlroy.
The Northern Irishman said earlier this week he wants top spot in the global standings back as soon as possible, and his opening tournament of 2016 went some way to that.
“When I was walking up 16, I saw Jordan’s name was on the board at -11,” McIlroy said. “ I just wanted to get a few more world ranking points than him, make a little bit of ground up. At least if I didn’t win this week, and I’ve been able to do that. We’ll see where that puts me tomorrow.”
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