par-four 11th, to put himself in
contention to become just the sixth
player in history to win a tournament
with closing score of 59. A bogey-
eagle-bogey finish foiled his attempt
but made for an highly entertaining
conclusion to his round.
His eagle on the par-five 17
started with a 341 yard drive off
the tee to the centre of the fairway.
His perfect approach shot set up
an easy two-foot putt. That left him
needing a birdie on the par-four 18
to shoot a 59. It would have been
his first birdie of the week on the
hole. But he found the bunker on
the right of the green. Instead of
holing out from the sand for 59, hecame out too hot, putting his ball
about eight feet past the pin.
McIlroy was five shots off
the lead entering the weekend,
shooting 64 on Saturday before he
found another gear on Sunday.
“I think what I’m proudest of
is still playing with that freedom
today going out being tied for the
lead. Just putting my foot down
and really making this tournament
mine,” McIlroy said. “I think by the
time I got to the 14th tee I wasn’t
really thinking of winning the
tournament. I was thinking of trying
to shoot 59. I had to reassess my
goals a little bit in the middle of that
back nine.”open, following the U.S. Open
(2011), Australian Open (2013),
British Open (2014) and Irish Open
(2016). McIlroy also counts the
Hong Kong Open (2011) as part of
his national-championship tally.
Beginning Sunday with a share
of the lead with Simpson and Matt
Kuchar at 13-under, he improved
with each round, shooting 67,
66, 64, before opening the birdie
floodgates. Lowry, who shot a
closing round of 67, and Simpson,
who shot a 68, finished at 15-under
265, two shots ahead of fourth
place finishers Brandt Snedeker
(69) and Matt Kuchar (70).
McIlroy made four straight birdies
on the back nine, starting at the