Irish pair bid farewell to Atlanta

Golf:It's not a situation Rory McIlroy will want to become accustomed to. Almost two hours before the leaders had even taken the course, the youngster bid the USPGA Championship farewell after signing for a final round of 74 for an underwhelming 11 over par total.

The US Open champion, tied for third on his two previous USPGA appearances. will have plenty of unpleasant unpleasant memories of the Atlanta Athletic Club, not least the

475-yard third hole. Three days after injuring his arm attempting a shot against a tree root, he returned to the scene of the crime and ran up a triple-bogey seven.

McIlroy had gone over the green from a bunker and then three-putted from only three feet. It was a sign of things to come for McIlroy. After another dropped shot at the eighth, McIlroy ended up in a hospitality tent at the ninth, his fairway bunker shot flying over the green into one of the dining units.

Having turned in 39, McIlroy battled home in level par but would finish with at total of 291 and only six players below him on the leaderboard. McIlroy had talked of going off house-hunting in Florida this coming week, but in a change of plan he was heading off to Cincinnati.

“I hear it’s nice this time of year,” he said with a smile. It just so happens that tennis world number one Caroline Wozniacki is playing there.On not achieving what he wanted from the week, McIlroy added: “I have basically played 70 holes out of 72 not at 100 per cent, so it was frustrating not to be able to play the way I wanted to.

“But I got through the tournament and I was proud of that and I am looking forward just to taking a couple of weeks off and making sure that I come back fully fit when I’m ready.”

He hopes that will be the European Masters — the first Ryder Cup qualifying event — in Switzerland on September 1st-4th.

Asked if he was wiser now after what happened, he replied: “I think so. If I get myself in the position again where there’s a tree root right next to my ball I might think twice about what shot I’m going to play.

I am going to take a couple of weeks off to rest the wrist. I’m going to Cincinnati for a few days, home for the weekend and then go back out to New York.

“It will be nice and I will enjoy my two weeks off.”

Padraig Harrington also finished 11 over par and is altering his movements as well. He has entered this week’s Wyndham Championship in North Carolina to try to qualify for the PGA Tour FedEx Cup play-offs. He too shot 74, while McIlroy’s playing partner Ross Fisher had a 69 for five over.

As for the title race, little-known pair Brendan Steele and Jason Dufner led by one on seven under from their fellow American Keegan Bradley. After failing to win any of the last six majors, Americans hold the top five places on the leaderboard heading into the final round.

Steele and Bradley, whose aunt Pat won six majors, are both playing the first majors of their careers, while Dufner has not won on the PGA Tour in nearly 150 starts. World top two Luke Donald and Lee Westwood resumed five behind after bad finishes yesterday and remained one under after one and two holes respectively.

Among those who made an early move was Sergio Garcia, birdies at the fifth and sixth — driveable after the tee was moved forward over 100 yards — taking him to joint eighth on two under.