In the end, it wasn’t enough for McIlroy to win the Honda Classic, but this was still a thing of beauty.
Last night’s Honda Classic finale was gripping television. Four golfers, including long-time leader Rory McIlroy, were battling for the $1million first prize at the PGA National course. Earlier in the day, Tiger Woods, well off the pace, had pulled out, and the stage was set for a grandstand finish.
Russell Henley dropped his ball in the water at 15, McIlroy did the same at 16, while neither Russell Knox and Ryan Palmer could pull away either. After dropping another shot on 17, McIlroy needed a birdie on the treacherous 18th to make the play-off.
And he did it in remarkable fashion, lofting a fairway wood from 245 yards onto the green to give himself a shot at eagle and a chance to win the tournament. The Holywood man would miss the eagle and birdie it to make the four-man play-off but this shot to give him the chance was absolutely sensational, in both its execution and bravery.
In the play off, Henley birdied 18 to win, as McIlroy could only par, the same result as Palmer and Knox. A final round of 74 was a disappointment for McIlroy but the signs are there that his really best form is all but back.
