March 07, 2016: Australian Adam Scott claimed his second World Golf Championships title with a dramatic one shot victory in the WGC-Cadillac Championship, as both Rory McIlroy and Danny Willett came up just short in Miami. India’s Anirban Lahiri suffered a let down in the final round. Lahiri made six bogeys and a double at the 16th, including five straight on the front nine, as he slipped out of the top ten and finish at a disappointing T28 at 2-over 290.
McIlroy had started the final round with a three shot lead at Trump National Doral following a bogey-free third round of 68, but he dropped three shots in his first 13 holes before picking up his only birdie of the day on the 16th hole.
By then it was too little too late after Scott recovered from a difficult front nine of his own, which included double bogeys on the third and fifth holes, with a blistering burst of six birdies in nine holes from the sixth.
With Bubba Watson in the clubhouse on 11 under par following a round of 68, which featured an eagle three on the eighth hole, Scott survived a major scare on the last hole when he drove behind a tree and the cut his approach perilously close to the water hazard. The former World Number One took full advantage of that break, chipping up to six feet and then calmly rolling in the par putt to seal a round of 69 and finish on 12 under par.
It meant back-to-back victories on American soil for Scott, who also won last week in the Honda Classic on the US PGA Tour, while Watson took second place on 11 under par. McIlroy’s closing two over par round of 74 meant he had to settle for a share of third position alongside Englishman Danny Willett on ten under par.
Willett had briefly shared the lead after three birdies on the front nine, but he mixed two birdies with two bogeys on the way in, including a dropped shot on the last after finding the water with his drive, as he signed for a round of 69. It was Willett’s third top three finish in the last four WGC events.
“I really can’t believe it. I don’t think I’ve processed what’s happened, especially today’s round. It was ugly and good, all in 18 holes. But to win a World Golf Championships means a lot to any of us,” said Scott. “I’ve been playing here for 12 years, and I’ve played well at times, but never really had a chance to win. It is special to win at this golf course and beat this great field. It feels pretty good.”
“I didn’t make enough birdies. I felt like my game was okay for the most part, but I didn’t take advantage of the holes I should have. I couldn’t birdie any of the par fives and that’s really what killed me today,” admitted McIlroy.
“I’ll take a lot of positives from this week. A lot of things did go right for me, but I need to just pick myself back up and get into contention again in Orlando in a couple weeks’ time and let’s see if I can get the win there. It’s frustrating because it’s two out of the last three weeks. I was leading the golf tournament with 16 holes to play in Riviera. I was leading the golf tournament here going into the back nine, and to not get the job done in either two of those instances is very frustrating. I’ve got two events left to try to get that win before going to Augusta and I’m hopefully going to get it.”
Source: European Tour
