US TOUR NEWS: MASTERS FAVOURITES Tiger Woods and Pádraig Harrington knocked some more rust off their games as Rory McIlroy ran out of adrenalin in the WGC-CA Championship at Doral's Blue Monster in Miami yesterday.
However, it was Phil Mickelson who claimed the title after he won the battle with Nick Watney by a shot on 19-under after a final round of 69.
Mickelson, who had been treated overnight for heat exhaustion and dehydration, showed no ill effects from his visit to a hospital emergency room as he and fellow American Watney battled it out over the closing holes after being tied at 20-under-par after 10 holes of the final round.
In a head-to-head between the two overnight leaders, Watney paid the price for bogeys on 11 and 12 which followed his eagle on the par-five 10th.
The victory was Mickelson’s second tour win of the year and his first victory at a World Golf Championship event.
Woods closed with a four under par 68 to finish in the top ten in his first strokeplay start since undergoing reconstructive knee surgery eight months ago.
Denied on the greens, the world number one declared himself happy with the state of his game as he begins his countdown to the Masters in just over three weeks’ time.
But it was also a positive week for Harrington and McIlroy as they finished in share of 20th place on nine-under par after rounds of 71 and 73 respectively.
“The good news is, I got better each and every day,” said Woods, who had little luck on the greens.
“I putted good today. I made two putts, but I felt like Im hitting the putts better. Im happy with the way I progressed, but not necessarily happy with the way I finished, obviously. I didnt win the golf tournament and wasnt in a position to win the golf tournament. But hitting the golf ball this week, I got better each and every day, and my feel around the greens got better and just handling the environment out there got better.
“Ive been away so long, I figured it would take me a lot longer to get back. But you know this, week was a big week for me.”
McIlroy was running on fumes after losing his chance to win the tournament with a level par 72 on Saturday. But did well to bogey the last after a visit to the water for a closing 73 before declaring that he was pleased to finish the tournament inside the top 20.
“A top 20 finish in this field is a pretty good accomplishment,” McIlroy said after a round that featured two birdies, a three-putt double bogey and that closing five.
“I was in a very good position going into the weekend but just couldn’t capitalise on it and I got a bit tired the last couple of days and the adrenalin levels weren’t quite there. But it has been a good three weeks and I still feel as if I’m playing pretty good.
“It has been great, a lot of people have gotten to know me which has been great and I have had a lot of support out here now. It has been a great three weeks but I am looking forward to getting home for a couple of weeks and I’ll be raring to go and get back out here and play some more.
“It has been great and I feel that if I can do a little bit of work at home I’ll get myself ready for the next stretch.
Harrington added Doral to his schedule at the last minute after a slow start to his season and while he didnt drive the ball well he was happy to get up and down for a bogey at the last for a third successive 71 that left him tied with McIlroy on nine-under par.
“It would have been reasonable to turn today into perhaps a 69 or something like that but I don’t have any complaints,” said Harrington, who visited water at the last.
Darren Clarke closed with a 69 to finish inside the top 50 on three under par but an “undergolfed” Graeme McDowell three-putted twice in a closing 73 to finish near the back of the field on two-over.
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