Jason Day snatches Arnold Palmer Invitational but Rory McIlroy ends in style
As Rory McIlroy closed with a spectacular 65 to prove his game is not far away as Augusta National approaches, Day birdied the 17th and then got up and down from sand at the last, holing a clutch four- footer for a 70 and a one-shot win over Kevin Chappell on 17 under par.
“This is a really rewarding win for me,” Day said. “To be able to get in the house and make the par on the last was very satisfying.”
It was the eighth PGA Tour win of Day’s career, the fifth in his last 12 starts and his third since he captured the US PGA at Whistling Straits last year.
Two ahead of Chappell, Henrik Stenson and Troy Merritt starting the day, Day made three birdies and two bogeys in his first six holes before a tap in birdie at the ninth gave him a share of the lead heading into the back nine.
Merritt birdied the first five holes coming home to get within one of Day, Chappell and Stenson with four to play but ended up taking six at the last for a 71 to finish fourth on 14 under alongside the Swede, who bogeyed the 14th and 16th for a 71.
Seeking his maiden win, Chappell birdied the 13th and 16th to lead by one from Day and Merritt on 17 under, but he drove into the rough and bogeyed the last for a 69 that left him with second place.
Day was far from his best but he hit a towering, 222-yard tee shot to 12 feet at the par-three 17th and poured in the putt to snatch the lead and then got up and down from the left green side trap at the last to take victory.
As for McIlroy, he rebounded from a third round 75 by firing two eagles and five birdies in a closing 65 to finish tied 27th on six under par.
But McIlroy admitted that he needed to go easier on himself mentally and improve his course management after racking up six double bogeys over the four days — the worst tally of his PGA Tour career.
After finishing 3-3-3 with an eagle-par-birdie finish — he holed a 60-footer at the 18th — the four-time major winner concluded that it’s not his swing but his decision making and attitude that’s costing him dear.
“Missing it on the wrong side, not being smart,” McIlroy said when asked where his double bogeys were coming from.
“When I do miss it, not take my medicine, trying to be too cute with it, trying to make up for the bad shot I hit instead of maybe giving myself that 12, 15-foot putt for par.”
He added: “I was really disappointed coming off the course yesterday after feeling like my game was in really good shape coming here — you’ve seen glimpses of that this week with a 67 which could have been a lot better on Friday and then a 65 today. I just need to eradicate my mistakes.”
Looking forward to his defence of the WGC-Dell Match Play in Texas this week, McIlroy added: “It’s all about Augusta.
“Next week is a bit of a weird week for my final competitive week going into Augusta but it will be great to get some matches under my belt.”
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