ABU DHABI // Rory McIlroy had said at the end of Round 3 that Martin Kaymer would be “pretty much impossible” for the field to catch. Some soothsayer he is.
In fairness to the world No 1, Kaymer, a three-time winner around the National Course in the past, had seemed as much of a sure thing as there has ever been.
But bitter personal experience should have been a pointer to the fact funny things can happen on a golf course. Funny odd, rather than funny humorous, of course.
McIlroy has had a famous cringe-inducing, watch-from-behind-the-sofa capitulation of his own in the past.
As a 21-year-old tyro, he gave away a four-shot lead on the final afternoon of the 2011 Masters, as Charl Schwartzel stole in to take the green jacket.
Short-term pain made him stronger, though. He has won four Majors in the time since. Life does go on.
"I know what it is like to let a lead slip, and it is tough," McIlroy said of Kaymer's concession of a 10-stroke lead.
“A couple of bad swings, then guys around you make birdies and all of a sudden, from being very comfortable, you are under pressure and it feels very hard to come back.
“It feels like the momentum has gone against you. It is just hard.”
During his downtime between this tournament and the Dubai Desert Classic, McIlroy will be able to reflect on a satisfying start to the season in Abu Dhabi.
He made a first career hole-in-one, and ended the competition with only the winner, Gary Stal, ahead of him.
This was the fourth time in five years McIlroy has finished runner up in this tournament.
Which is a decent record, considering he admits he struggles to read putts on these greens, empowering his caddy, JP Fitzgerald, to do that job for him.
In the final count up, the putter was probably the only thing between McIlroy and a maiden Abu Dhabi title.
“I hit every green [in the final round] in regulation,” he said. “I feel like I am hitting the ball very, very well.
“Obviously I didn’t putt as well as I would have liked this week, but all parts of my game feel pretty good.”
McIlroy nearly holed his bunker shot from the side of the 18th green, which would have left Stal needing to make birdie to avoid a play off. But the 22-year-old Frenchman betrayed no signs of nerves, anyway.
Victor Dubuisson, who was playing with McIlroy, was one of the few players in the field with any depth of knowledge of Stal’s credentials.
He said his compatriot and friend is a “really great player,” and a deserving winner.
“I knew this would happen,” Dubuisson said. “He deserved to win the tournament. He’s a guy with big nerves.”
pradley@thenational.ae
Follow us on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
