Monday, November 09, 2009
RORY McILROY took full advantage of a Tiger Woods closing bogey in the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai to move back into second on the Race to Dubai money list.
Woods produced one of the most uncharacteristic rounds of his 14-Major Championship winning career in carding a 72 that left him trailing five strokes behind world number two Phil Mickelson.
Mickelson captured a second Champions title in three years courtesy of a last round 69 for a 17-under par tally and one fewer than South African Ernie Els, who equalled the Sheshan course record with a 63 but spoiled his hopes of a victory when finding water at the last to take a bogey.
American Ryan Moore signed off for a 68 to finish third on 15-under par with McIlroy producing a scintillating outward nine of 30 in an eventual similar course record equalling 63.
The effort was McIlroy’s lowest final round of his short pro career that commenced with the 20-year-old birding his opening two holes, and after a bogey at the third, he then nailed five birdies in succession before playing his closing five holes in three under par.
The former Irish Examiner National Junior Sports Star earned a €212,230 cheque in what his 12th top 10 finish this season.
McIlroy arrived lying in third place on the Race to Dubai money list, €64,000 adrift of second placed Martin Kaymer of Germany.
But after Woods took bogey down the last, McIlroy has gone ahead of Kaymer by €19,714 after the German carded a 67 to finish tied with Woods.
And McIlroy has also bridged the gap on Lee Westwood to €52,321 after the English man carded a 71 to end on 11-under par.
McIlroy admitted: "That was probably one of my best last rounds of my pro career given that is a World Golf Championship and considering the quality of the players ahead of me at the start of the day.
"I seemed to have got into a habit of shooting good last days to get myself up there, so it was nice to shoot a good low one. My game wasn’t in tune early in the week but after some hard work on the range on Thursday night, it’s paid off.
"I don’t know if it will happen like this every week but it’s nice to see results very quickly. But now unlike last year I am heading to Hong Kong and rather than trying to get myself inside the top-50 in the world, I am looking to win the Race to Dubai.
"So I will be going into Hong Kong in a lot better shape than arriving here in Shanghai."
The Woods and Mickelson final round showdown drew a record last day crowd but with Mickelson coming out on top for a second straight occasion when the game’s leading players have played in the final group on a last day.
"Anything that could go wrong went wrong for me," said Woods.
"I just got off to a bad start early but did manage to battle back to get to 13-under but caught a flyer and found the water on 18 but still, it was just one of those days when I didn’t put it together at the right time."
Pádraig Harrington admitted his Race to Dubai winning hopes are over after recording an eagle and three birdies in a closing round 67 for a six under par tally.
"The Race to Dubai is gone and such is life," he said after moving just one spot to 17th on the money list.
"But it was nice to finish with a sub-par round and I really should have started out like that.’’
And Shane Lowry will join McIlroy in Hong Kong after carding a closing day 72 to end in share of 28th spot on five under par.
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