Putting woes prove Rory McIlroy’s Miami vice

Rory McIlroy’s new look putting style failed to pay off as he took 33 putts and double bogeyed his final hole in the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral last night.

While he had holed little, the world No 3 looked to be cruising to a round in the 60s at the demanding Miami venue until he turned an eagle chance into a three-putt par at his 17th and then splashed down at the ninth for a closing double bogey five and a one-under 71.

As playing partner Jordan Spieth had 29 putts in a 69 and Jason Day had just 30 in a troubled 72, McIlroy ended the day six shots behind clubhouse leader Scott Piercy, who shot a 66 to lead by one from 45-year old Phil Mickelson, the 2009 champion.

“My speed wasn’t too good on the greens. I was leaving a lot of putts short,” said McIlroy.

“But I guess to be expected. It’s the first day competitively with a bit of a new grip for the putting. But I felt like it was pretty good. But yeah, just disappointed about the finish. Just need to get out there tomorrow and try and pick up those shots quickly again and try to start from there.”

McIlroy did not putt badly but while he missed just a pair of putts inside eight feet, he lacked conviction with his putter and the jury is still out on his move to the cack-handed method.

He single putted just four greens and while it looked as though he would walk off without making an error, he three putted the eighth for par, coming up seven feet short with a 37-foot eagle putt before missing for birdie.

With just a month to go before he bids to complete he career grand slam in the Masters at Augusta National, the 26-year old has vowed to stick with the new method for more than just one round or even one event, And while there were some excellent signs, it’s clear that it will take a while for him to gain the confidence of player like Spieth, who finished his day three off the pace.

“I don’t think there was anything wrong with his stroke before but it may be something different for confidence,” Spieth said of McIlroy’s putting change earlier this week.

“I think it is a smart move, if you can grow some confidence.”

There was little wrong with McIlroy’s long game as he gave himself a birdie putt and two eagle looks on his first three greens.

Having reduced the 614 yard 10th to drive and a five wood, he tickled an 18 footer to 18 inches to open with a birdie and never really looked back.

He was short again with his birdie effort from 30 feet at the 11th and again from 35 feet for eagle at the 12th but tapped made a three and a half foot there to go two under.

His putter couldn’t save him in the par-three 13th, where he missed a 12 footer after pulling his 210 yard tee shot left of the green.

He had to grind hard for his par at the 14th after leaving his slippery, 40 foot approach putt five feet short.

But birdied the dangerous, 152 yard 15th thanks to a deft approach and an excellent putt from seven feet, and then followed a missed chance from inside nine feet at the 16th by rolling in a 12 footer for birdie at the 17th following a helpful ricochet from a sprinkler head.

His bogey at the 18th, where he got a friendly bounce off the palm trees into he right semi-rough only to overshoot the green and fail to get up and down, was a minor frustration.

His par putt from eight feet was easily his worst effort of the front nine but he was soon on the birdie trail again, caressing home a four feet at the 605yard first for birdie after a fine wedge from 113 yards.

Shane Lowry was two over early but matched McIlroy with a one under 71 as Graeme McDowell got back to level from two over but bogeyed the 14th and 16th for a two over 74.

McDowell took five at the par-three fourth, where he came up short in the water as Lowry bogeyed the tough third and seventh holes.

McDowell birdied the par-five eighth and 10th and followed a bogey at the 11th with another birdie at the 12th to get back to level before his poor finish.

But Lowry was spectacular, making a superb two at the 188-yard ninth and then following that with an incredible eagle three at the 10th.

The Clara star smashed a 313-yard three wood to less than four feet and while three putted the 11th for bogey he birdied the 17th thanks to a 154-yard approach to two feet and then parred the 18th.

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