There was a sense of déjà vu yesterday at the Firestone Country Club. Friends and rivals, Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia played out a final day chase that was like a replay of their battle at the Open Championships with a bit of role reversal added for effect. McIlroy wasted no time erasing Garcia’s three shot lead before settling in front to clinch his maiden World Golf Championships title. The two shot victory at the Bridgestone Invitational also catapulted him to the top of the rankings. Hours after Tiger Woods walked away hurting, McIlory emulated him by becoming only the second man to win a major and a WGC title in consecutive starts.
McIlroy got off to a blistering start – making a hat-trick of birdies to not only catch up but pass the overnight leader Garcia by the end of the third hole. The Spaniard, who led by three at the end of the third round, made a bogey at the third to slip one back from the Northern Irishman.
Another birdie at the fifth gave McIlroy a one shot lead over his playing partner. Suddenly, Garcia was in familiar territory – chasing the leader in an intense, engaging final round. The round took another twist at the ninth hole.
McIlroy was six feet off the pin, with a good shot at another birdie just before making the turn one last time at this year’s tournament. Garcia rolled his putt for a birdie to catch up with McIlroy, so the 25 year old needed it down to retain his lead. Unfortunately though, the ball kissed the lip of the cup and curled out to leave the two men tied with nine to play.
Phil Mickelson was done with his work for the day even before the final pair got warmed up. Leftie made the low round of his season, a brilliant 62 fuelled by as many as 10 birdies to sign off in style and move to Valhalla with perhaps his confidence restored.
McIlroy regained a one shot lead at the eleventh again when he made another birdie. Garcia had a tricky longish putt at the twelfth, but he managed to save par and ensure he remained firmly on the heels of a confident McIlroy.
It was a virtual march to victory from there for McIlroy, with Garcia offering a favour in the form of his second bogey in the final round. The blip at the par-3 15th saw Garcia slip two behind McIlroy and a seventh straight par was enough to land the first WGC title of his career.
“That’s the most pleasing thing about this week is not dwelling about what happened at Hoylake,” said McIlroy. “That’s what I’ll have to do after this, as well. I’ve just got to keep moving forward. It’s great to have a chance to try to go there to win three in a row. But if you’d have asked me what I’m proudest of this week, it’s the mindset that I took into here of not being complacent. I wanted to come here and really contend.” McIlroy’s 15-under 265 earned him $1.53 million and returned him to top of the rankings.
Report by Anand Datla
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