Rory McIlroy insists his game is in a “good spot” heading into the Genesis Invitational, despite a “sloppy incident” derailing his hopes of successfully defending his title at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
After making four birdies in five holes in the final round at Pebble Beach Golf Links, McIlroy briefly returned to contention and added three more birdies in the four holes from the 11th.
The world No. 2 finished with an unblemished 64 with a birdie on the final hole. At No. 25 in an eventful week, he made two eagles, but also had three bogeys, three double bogeys and one triple bogey.
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Rory McIlroy makes triple bogey on the par-4 fourth during the third round at Pebble Beach.
McIlroy finished tied for 14th place at 17 under, five strokes behind winner Collin Morikawa, who made a birdie on the final hole to seal a one-shot victory, but McIlroy admitted the costly four holes cost him his chance to get a winning start to the PGA Tour season.
“That’s the only thing I felt like I needed to clean up, because the good stuff that’s out there is really, really good,” McIlroy explained. “I hit the irons well and drove well for the most part. I had some destructive tee shots yesterday (third round), but everything feels pretty good.”
Rory McIlroy was looking for a winning start to the PGA Tour season after winning by two strokes in last year’s tournament.
“I wish I could get those four holes back this week. If you play 68 really good holes and you bogey those three doubles and bogey that triple, you’re five shots in and all of a sudden you’re in the lead.
“Overall, we had some really good things happen this week and that’s definitely pretty encouraging going into next week.”
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Rory McIlroy hit two three-putt double bogeys in three holes in Thursday’s opening round.
McIlroy started the year with a tie for third at the Dubai Invitational, but missed the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, giving up on his equipment “experiments” and reverting to the type of irons he used during his Masters-winning season.
McIlroy added: “We’ve seen the most growth since the Middle East. “I think it’s two areas: iron play, short game. Like I said, I hit some devastating tee shots, but I think it’s probably the driver as well.”
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Rory McIlroy holes bunker shot for eagle at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am opener
“Yesterday on the 18th, I rode the wind and got one shot, and then went 4-on-4 (triple bogey) and was able to get one shot, but I was able to ride the ball better for the most part, so it was good to see that as well.”
“I’m in a good position. If you take away that big number, I’m probably at the front instead of right there.”
McIlroy also said: “No mistakes, no bogeys. That’s the big thing today. It was one of my first starts of the year and I was trying to get through some rough spots and I feel like I did that.”
McIlroy will make further title defenses at The Players and The Masters in the coming months.
Schaeffler continues historic top 10 ranking
Only Scottie Scheffler beat McIlroy’s final-round score, setting a clubhouse target despite starting eight back and threatening a historic comeback with an incredible 9-under 63.
Scheffler played the first seven holes at 7 under and had three eagles in a remarkable performance, marking his 18th consecutive top-10 finish on the PGA Tour and tying Tiger Woods’ record of eight consecutive top-four finishes.
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Scottie Scheffler got off to a great start in the final round at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am with two eagles and three birdies in the first six holes.
“I had to do something special today to give myself a chance,” Scheffler told CBS after the final round. “When I was on the back nine, I felt like I needed to get to 21 or 22 under.
“I was playing really aggressive, a little more aggressive than usual, so I had a few bogeys on the card. I was chasing pins, but overall it was a fun day. I just had to know that I had to put up numbers and I did a good job all week.”
Scheffler had three eagles, six birdies and three bogeys in the final round.
“It’s a week that I’m very proud of. I felt like I was fighting all week just to give myself an opportunity. And something special happened today and it’s always great to be able to stand in the clubhouse with an opportunity.”
What’s next?
The PGA Tour will be in California for another signature event, the Genesis Invitational, with Tiger Woods’ foundation hosting the event at Riviera Country Club and both Scheffler and McIlroy scheduled to perform.
Ludwig Oberg returns as defending champion and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf from 3.15pm on Thursday, ahead of full coverage from 9pm. Get Sky Sports now and stream without a contract.
