San Francisco (AFP) – Rory McIlroy delivered an overwhelming back-nine performance on Sunday for a two-stroke victory at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am to capture his 27th career US PGA Tour title. The 35-year-old four-time major winner from Northern Ireland made three birdies and an eagle after the turn to fire a six-under par 66 and finish on 21-under 267 at the famed oceanside course.
“Some people would argue that the golf courses I’ve won on are not up to a Pebble Beach or an Augusta or whatever, but to win at one of the cathedrals of golf is really, really cool,” McIlroy said. “I knew today was going to be tough. It was going to be exciting. There were so many guys that were around the lead. And I guess with it being Pebble Beach, I had to put that to the back of my mind and just go out there and try to shoot a score, which I was able to.”
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Ireland’s Shane Lowry, the 2019 British Open champion, birdied 18 to shoot 68 and grab second on 269 but missed out on a fourth career PGA title. “I didn’t have my best stuff all day,” Lowry said. “I just hung in there. I said let’s try and make Rory win this, let’s not give it to him. When players like Rory McIlroy turn up and have their A-game they’re pretty much impossible to beat. It wasn’t my day but it has been a good week.”
Sharing third were past US Open winners Lucas Glover and England’s Justin Rose, who sank a 61-foot eagle putt from off the green at the par-5 18th to shoot 68. Third-ranked McIlroy took only his second career triumph in California, the other coming at the 2015 WGC Match Play at Harding Park in San Francisco.
“To win in California, a place where I haven’t historically played well before, it’s really cool and it’s obviously a really cool way to start the season,” McIlroy said. “To get this win this early, it means a great deal and hopefully just keep the momentum going.” McIlroy has ensured an eighth consecutive season with a victory and he hopes to complete a career grand slam at the majors by winning the Masters in April at Augusta National.
Austrian Sepp Straka, who won his third PGA title two weeks ago, led by one when the day began but opened with a bogey and couldn’t match McIlroy’s pace from there, sharing seventh on 272.
– McIlroy soars at 14th –
McIlroy dropped his approach to three feet and tapped in to birdie the par-5 second then sank a 12-foot birdie putt at the par-3 seventh but took bogey at eight after missing the green with his approach. McIlroy sank a birdie putt from just inside 18 feet at the 10th to grab the solo lead, then made another from just inside nine feet to birdie the par-3 12th, seizing a two-stroke lead at 18-under.
“I was really proud of myself,” said McIlroy. “I made that bogey on the eighth hole and to play the next few the way I did, that gave me the cushion to make it comfortable coming down the last few.” After reaching the green in two at the par-5 14th, McIlroy had just over 26 feet for eagle and curled in the putt to claim a four-stroke edge.
“I’ve hit three really good tee shots off 14,” McIlroy said. “The previous two times this week I didn’t take advantage of them and I was determined to take advantage of it today. I hit a perfect 7-iron after that drive and to hole a putt like that across that green it’s a bit of a bonus. But that really gave me a cushion to play the last four holes.”
McIlroy landed his approach inside four feet at 15 and made the birdie putt to reach 21-under, then closed his round with a tap-in par at 18 after admiring the view on his walk up the iconic oceanside 18th hole. “Really cool to have that walk up 18 and sort of take it all in,” McIlroy said. “Was very cool.”
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