Rory McIlroy had his three-iron returned to him compliments of Donald Trump, but more importantly he found his swagger, for 17 holes, at least, in the final round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship.
McIlroy overcame a so-so start with four birdies in a five-hole stretch to put a bounce in his step, but he stumbled with a double bogey at the demanding 18th hole, settling for a 72 and a ninth-place finish in Florida behind winner Dustin Johnson, of the United States.
The world No 1 missed just three greens and would have gone lower had he not hit the water twice on the closing hole. However, it was a step in the right direction as McIlroy tries to gather momentum for next month’s Masters, where he tries to complete a career grand-slam at 25 and win his third consecutive major.
“Statistically, I hit much better shots and there are signs of improvement and signs of encouragement,” McIlroy said. “It’s just not quite as comfortable as I’d like. The game’s just not quite there.”
That was obvious on the 18th, when his tee shot landed in the water about eight yards left of the fairway. He then grabbed the infamous three-iron and hit his approach into the water.
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At least the Northern Irishman finished with flair, holing a chip behind the green for his double. Not that it mattered. McIlroy dropped his wedge, expressionless, retrieved the ball from the cup and, fittingly, tossed the ball into the lake.
“You feel like you make some progress and this course bites back and you give away a couple of shots,” McIlroy said. “I told J P [Fitzgerald, his caddie] ‘I think we left our game in the desert.’”
At the start of the round, Trump presented McIlroy with the three-iron he had hurled into a lake after a water ball during the second round. McIlroy wasn’t too thrilled with Trump’s grandstanding.
“We know Donald,” McIlroy said. “He’s never one to miss an opportunity.”
Trump defended McIlroy’s outburst. “I thought it was great,” Trump said. “Not only did he do it with great style, but it also shows a human touch. I told him it’s unlucky to have 13 clubs in your bag.”
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The three-iron was returned to Trump after the round to be mounted in the clubhouse at the Trump Doral resort the American bought three years ago.
McIlroy will take this week off before his final tune-up for the Masters at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He’ll head to Augusta National later this week with his father for practice rounds.
Johnson started the final round five shots behind J B Holmes, but shot a 69 and took advantage of Holmes’s 75 to win his ninth PGA Tour title and first since a six-month absence from the sport.
“This means everything,” Johnson said. “This win is by far the best one. It’s been a tough road, but a lot of good things have come from it.”
Holmes settled for second, a shot back. Bubba Watson had taken a two-shot lead at the turn, but faded to third after a back-nine 39.