Rory McIlroy at Turkish Airlines Open 2015: Sunday Leaderboard Score, Reaction
Rory McIlroy was left disappointed during his final round at the 2015 Turkish Airlines Open on Sunday, scoring a one-under 71 to finish shy of the overall lead by six shots.
Victor Dubuisson claimed victory after a stunning final round, taking him well clear of McIlroy's efforts, who finished tied for sixth.
The Northern Irishman had mixed fortunes on Sunday, posting three bogeys on his scorecard, which ultimately took the wind out of the sails of his challenge.
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Here’s McIlroy's fourth-round scorecard, and a look at some of the highlights of the final round from the four-time major champion:
| Par | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 35 |
| Score | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 35 |
| Overall | -15 | -15 | -16 | -17 | -17 | -17 | -17 | -16 | -15 | 35 |
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 37 |
| Score | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 36 |
| Overall | -15 | -15 | -14 | -15 | -15 | -16 | -16 | -16 | -16 | -16 |
McIlroy Close, But Slips During Final Round
The world No. 3 looked good as he sank birdies on three and four, to keep him in touch with overnight leaders Victor Dubuisson and Jaco van Zyl.
McIlroy then made a huge save on the fifth, succeeding with a long putt, as shared by the European Tour:
However, his round took a turn for the worse after a blip during the front nine damaged his chances. Bogies on holes eight and nine put the superstar back to where he was at the start of the day, as his opponents began to get away.
The drop in form appeared to affect McIlroy for a short period, and another bogey came on the 12th hole, effectively derailing his challenge.
But he recovered in style in the next three holes, carding two birdies to haul him back up the leaderboard, applying pressure to Dubuisson and Van Zyl, whose group went out directly behind McIlroy.
Failures on 16 and 17 made it impossible for McIlroy to claim the winner's cheque, missing a birdie putt on the latter, and the face on the Irishman was glum as he walked to the 18th.
McIlroy posted his third par in a row on 18, and the disappointment from the crowd was audible as he thanked the watching public.
However, the superstar was pleased by his overall contribution, as quoted by Reuters (h/t the Guardian):
"It was not the finish I wanted but I feel like I’ve seen good enough signs this week to suggest I can play well the next couple. My game didn’t hold up as well as I wanted it to today but next week is another opportunity to get myself into the mix again and see if I can handle it a bit better.
I felt like I hit some good putts that didn’t go in but I made a couple of bad strokes on the back nine.
That’s still a work-in-progress and I need to keep trying to improve on that part and keep going forward.
"
It wasn't his greatest day, but McIlroy gave flashes of his brilliance.
He leads the Race to Dubai, despite Sunday's disappointment, and looks on the edge of producing his best golf in the weeks to come.
The first three days showed that when he hits a purple patch, the birdie putts begin to flow.
But as he admitted himself, his overall form appears to be heading in the right direction.
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