The two million dollar man

GOLF’s two million dollar man, Rory McIlroy, believes his new management team will help inspire him to more victories.

The world No. 3 was speaking after claiming golf’s richest prize at the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters yesterday – his first win under his new Dublin-based management team — Horizon, run by Conor Ridge.

The 22-year-old sacked long-term agent Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler nine days ago, having failed to win a tournament since his momentous eight-shot victory in the US Open in June.

“The thing that will help me get over the line more is by putting myself in these positions to win golf tournaments,” he said.

McIlroy said he wants to enter more tournaments to gain experience and hinted his first victory under Horizon augured well for the future.

“I’ve been close in two or three tournaments and had two thirds and two seconds and was finally able to get myself over the line today,” he said.

“This was the third play-off of my career, and I was able to win this one, so at least my record in these events is getting better,” he joked.

“I am just delighted to get another win,” he added, after his dramatic sudden death play off with American Anthony Kim helped him to the $2m (€1.4m) winner’s cheque.

The lucrative win does not improve his world ranking position or boost his Ryder Cup points because the inaugural Shanghai event was unsanctioned.

But McIlroy said victory was important to end his title barren patch.

“This is my fourth win and second of the year and I feel like I could have won more,” he added.

“But I am delighted and it gives me great confidence going into next week’s HSBC Shanghai Champions. I want to try and chase a place in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai,” he said.

McIlroy claimed golf’s biggest first prize of €1.4m only after losing a three-shot lead for the second event in a row and being forced into a play-off.

The 22-year-old beat American, Anthony Kim, after a final-round shoot-out between the pair. McIlroy holed a 2-foot putt for the victory after Kim missed a 3-footer.

McIlroy had a chance to win in regulation, but the 22-year-old star from Co Down missed an 8-foot birdie putt. He closed with an even-par 72 to match Kim (69) at 18 under on Lake Malaren’s Jack Nicklaus-designed Masters course.

“It’s something that I feel like I can still get better at is winning and putting yourself in the position to win when you’re not playing your best,” McIlroy said. “Even if it’s scrappy golf where you grind it out, you’re going to win a lot more tournaments by doing that rather than playing your best golf the whole week. I was very happy I was able to pull this one out.”

The $2m first prize is the richest in golf. The top players, staying in Shanghai another week for the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions at Sheshan International, also received appearance money and last place was paid $25,000. Because the event isn’t sanctioned by a major tour, there were no ranking points at stake. Kim earned himself $750,000.

Hunter Mahan (70) and South Korea’s Noh Seung-yul (73) tied for third at 13 under in the 30-man event. Second-ranked Lee Westwood aced the par-3 12th en route to a 67 that left him fifth at 12 under.

McIlroy gave up an early three-shot lead, then rallied from a stroke down on the back nine to force the playoff.

Both players drove into the bunker on the first extra hole, then blasted out to set up the deciding putts. The victory was McIlroy’s first in three career playoffs.

McIlroy ran into trouble on the opening hole of the day when his ball hit the pin and bounced back into the fringe, leading to a bogey.

“I felt good standing on the first tee obviously with a three-shot lead,” McIlroy said. “I thought my second shot was very good. It was just a little unfortunate to hit the pin and ricochet back off the green. To go from three ahead to one ahead after the first hole was obviously not the start I was looking for.”

After McIlroy answered with a birdie on No. 7 to retake the lead, he hit his second shot into the water on the difficult par-4 ninth en route to a bogey. But Kim missed a 5-foot par putt to remain a stroke back at the turn.

McIlroy hit into the bunker on the 11th and three-putted for another bogey — his third of the round — to give Kim the lead.

After hitting into the bunker again and barely salvaging par on the 14th, McIlroy finally got a break on the 15th hole when he made a 5-footer for birdie and Kim missed from the same distance to even it.

McIlroy had a chance to take the lead on 17, but missed a birdie putt by less than an inch. Then, on 18, he missed the putt that would have given him the victory.

Ian Poulter (72) was 11 under, Retief Goosen (68) and K.J. Choi (67) were one stroke back and Y.E. Yang (72), Pádraig Harrington (72) and John Daly (71) were 6 under.