Rory McIlroy at Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2016: Sunday Score and Reaction
A late flourish from Rory McIlroy saw him take the clubhouse lead at the Dubai Desert Classic, but the Northern Irishman’s superb seven-under par round on Sunday was not enough to see him retain his title, as Danny Willett triumphed.
The score of 65 included some major highlights for McIlroy, who began the day eight shots back on the leaders, finishing 15 under par for the championship. Willet eventually won with a score of 19-under, one ahead of Andy Sullivan and Rafa Cabrera-Bello.
Here’s a look at McIlroy’s concluding card and a recap of how the 26-year-old fared on another absorbing day in Dubai.
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| Par | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 35 |
| Score | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 32 |
| Overall | -8 | -8 | -8 | -9 | -10 | -11 | -11 | -11 | -11 | |
| Par | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 72 |
| Score | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 65 |
| Overall | -12 | -12 | -11 | -12 | -13 | -14 | -14 | -15 | -15 |
McIlroy Finishes Strongly
Beginning the day a long time before the leaders on Sunday, McIlroy knew he needed to get off to a flier to have any chance of making a dent in the eight-shot gap he had to make up.
Although he started strongly, it wasn’t the spectacular beginning he really required. In the opening three holes McIlroy struck the ball well, but a succession of pars left him frustrated and lamenting missed chances.
On the fourth, the four-time major champion did burst into life, as a superb approach at the par three was consolidated with a fine putt. On the subsequent two par fours, McIlroy picked up another couple of shots to make it three birdies in a row, and suddenly, there was a fair amount of momentum behind the 2015 champion.
Three consecutive pars followed, giving the Northern Irishman his finest front nine of the week. Having shot a cumulative 11-under par on the back nine at the competition so far, McIlroy, well poised at 12 under, would have fancied his chances of making a late run for the prize.
The second half of his final round got off to a fine start, too, as he picked up another shot at the par-five 10th. As noted by the European Tour’s official Twitter feed, it was a birdie that pushed McIlroy onto the first page of the leaderboard for the first time in the day:
A par followed at 11 before a sloppy putt at the 12th blemished McIlroy’s card with a bogey for the first time on Sunday.
It was a dropped shot that seemed to end any genuine hopes of the title, especially with Willett motoring to 18-under. But McIlroy had finished strongly throughout the week in Dubai and seemed intent to do so again here, putting a fair amount of pressure on those in the final pairings.
Between Nos. 13 and 15, he rattled off successive birdies to move up to an impressive 14-under for the tournament. As we can see here, his approach into the par-three 15th was magnificent:
A par at 16 ended that run sequence, but McIlroy didn't have to wait long before picking up another shot, with a brilliant three at the par-four penultimate hole. A par at the last gave him 65 for the day, his best round of the week, but not enough for glory.
Afterward, the world No. 2 lamented some of his struggles from earlier in the week, particularly on the front nine, per Ali Stafford of Sky Sports:
"I'll rue the two front nines that I played on Friday and Saturday. I played the combined front nine five over par there and if I had not of done that, things could have been different.
But I'm encouraged with the good golf that I've played. It's been good because I know what I need to work on over the next few weeks, but obviously it could have been better.
"
Although he will be disappointed that he didn't end up the victor, there were some encouraging signs for McIlroy at the Emirates Golf Club. His work off the tee and approach play were sensational at times, but lapses in concentration on the greens often let him down. Still, early in the season, that won’t be too much of a concern.
There are chinks the 26-year-old will be seeking to iron out before the Masters in a couple of months, though. After some decent form here and a fortnight ago at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, the signs are positive for a prosperous 2016.
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