Rory McIlroy claims ‘moral victory’ in Abu Dhabi

Rory McIlroy has reason to regard the

Abu Dhabi Championship

as a cursed event. Two years ago, the Northern Irishman was pipped to first place by a stroke and Robert Rock. McIlroy had been penalised two shots during round two for illegally brushing sand away while not on a putting surface.

Another penalty situation undermined McIlroy this time round. After his Saturday sanction, again two shots, for not taking full relief from a spectator walkway, McIlroy watched history repeat itself. Pablo Larrazábal claimed the trophy, at 14-under par, by a shot from McIlroy and Phil Mickelson, who also had just cause to ponder what might have been.

Whereas on Saturday evening McIlroy’s temper snapped, he was outwardly more relaxed 24 hours later. Perhaps the surprise appearance of his fiancee Caroline Wozniacki, who arrived in Abu Dhabi on Sunday morning after her third-round exit from the Australian Open, lightened his mood. Understandable traces of frustration, though, remained.

"I feel like I'm standing here and I should be 15-under par for the tournament and win by one," McIlroy said. "But that's the way it goes. I played the least shots of anyone this week. So I can count it as a moral victory more than anything.

Positive start
"It's frustrating. I have played well the whole week. It's a very positive start to the season so I'm not going to let one little negative ruin that. This is going to be my third second-place finish at this tournament. I have had a few good finishes here and not quite won it.

“On the 18th it started to dawn on me if that [penalty] had not happened, I would have won. But that’s the way it goes. I tried to win today and nearly did.

“Pablo played very well. I can’t take anything away from him. When he needed to, he hit the shots, and the two shots he hit into 18 were straight out of the top drawer. So fair play to him. It’s good to see, he’s a good guy, one of my closer friends out here and good to see him get the win.”

Mickelson’s aberration was every bit as bizarre as that of McIlroy. The British Open champion’s wild tee shot at the 13th came to rest under a bush. As he attempted to play his way – backhanded – out of this terrible predicament, Mickelson performed a double-hit. A triple-bogey seven followed and while the American came roaring back with typical appetite, the affair cost him victory.

“It never crossed my mind it might double-hit,” Mickelson said. “I was just trying to dribble it out of the bush because I couldn’t get the unplayable lie to give me a shot without stroke and distance. I felt it was worth the risk.

“When it hit the club, not only did it cost me a penalty stroke but it also stopped the ball from going to a spot where I could hit it again. So it was like a two-shot hit of the club essentially.”

Mickelson took heart from playing himself into contention in a tournament at which he had toiled in the early stages. McIlroy, who will spend the coming week practising and fulfilling sponsors’ commitments in Dubai, also has every cause to display a positive mindset.

It seems inconceivable that he will not compete regularly at the top of leaderboards this year, in contrast to his troubled form throughout the vast majority of 2013.

His next competitive appearance will be at the 25th anniversary of the Dubai Desert Classic on Thursday week, where he will lock horns with a certain T Woods.
"I feel good about my game and feel like I'm back to the place that I want to be," McIlroy said. "I'm driving the ball well, hitting the ball solidly and giving myself plenty of chances for birdies. And if I can keep doing that, the wins will come. I am really excited for the rest of the season."

Larrazábal’s name had barely appeared in dispatches until two birdies in his first four holes on Sunday. The Spaniard followed up rounds of 69, 70 and 68 with a 67 – aided by a back nine of 33. He retained his nerve wonderfully well to hole from seven feet for birdie on the 72nd green, given Mickelson’s presence in the group behind.

“Thank God it went in, because I would not be here if I had to go to a playoff with Phil and Rory,” Larrazabal said. Instead, he collected a cheque for €330,136 to mark his first European Tour victory since 2011.

"I beat two of the three most talented guys in my era and in the last era, as well," Larrazábal added. "It was very special to me.
Guardian Service