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One Fine Day: McIlroy Wins Honda Classic, Captures World No. 1 Ranking

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12 years ago

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By Pete Pappas

GolfWRX Staff Writer

Vince Lombardi once said, “You’ve got to be smart to be number one in any business.  But more importantly, you’ve got to play with your heart, with every fiber of your body.”

And 2012 Honda Classic Champion Rory McIlroy showed Sunday, he has a heart the size of an Irish truck engine.

McIlroy shot a final round 69 (one-under) at PGA National, averted danger through the treacherous Bear Trap, and finished 12-under, 268 overall, to win the Honda Classic by two shots over Tiger Woods and Tom Gillis.

The thrilling victory was the 22-year old McIlroy’s third-career PGA Tour victory.  And the triumph also completed the talented young Irishman’s meteoric (and many have said inevitable) ascension up the world golf rankings to the top spot, No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Overcome the infamously back-snapping Jack Nicklaus “Bear Trap”, and outrival a rebellious Tiger Woods Sunday rally in the same day?  Not a bad way to become new World No. 1.

“It was tough, especially seeing Tiger make a charge,” said McIlroy.  “I knew par golf would probably be good enough, and to shoot one-under in these conditions, when you go into the round with a lead, is very nice.  I was just able to get the job done,” he said.

However McIlroy’s victory wasn’t quite the foregone conclusion many presumed it would be.  And it certainly didn’t follow preconceived notions of how the final day would play out.

The script was supposed to be McIlroy cruises, Gillis and Harris English wilt, and the rest of field lack the firepower to catch the young U.S. Open Champion.  Film at 11.

Only Tiger didn’t get that memo.

Woods hadn’t played the Honda Classic since he was 17 years old.  He hadn’t carded a bogey-free round on the PGA Tour since the 2011 Farmers Insurance Open.  And earlier in the week Tiger was visibly irritated by the cantankerous exchange with a member of the media who questioned him about an excerpt from Hank Haney’s new tell-all book, “The Big Miss”.

Pile on a towering nine-stroke deficit to start the day Sunday, and well, did anyone really expect to hear even a “meow” out of Woods?  Let alone the return of his legendary roar?

Well Tiger’s roar did return.  In fact, it roared at 2000-like, Tiger-Slam decibel levels.  And from tee to green, Woods was scorching in his Sunday red, and like once-upon-a-time, at his dominating best.

He led the field in driving distance.  His bogey-free, eight-under 61 (four birdies, and two eagles) was the lowest single day score of his PGA Tour career.  And he hit 11 of 14 fairways-in-regulation, 14 of 18 greens-in-regulation, and needed only 26 putts on the green.

“To me, it was the old Tiger back, the guy I remember,” said Ernie Els, who was paired with Tiger on Sunday.  “He never missed a shot or made a bad swing.” Els said.

A resurgent Woods went four-under through the first seven holes, and shaved the McIlroy lead to five strokes at the bend.  And when Tiger finished three-under on the final two holes, including his second eagle of the day at No. 18, he was leader in the clubhouse at 10-under.

Not known to be a leaderboard spectator, McIlroy nevertheless admitted to watching it on Sunday.  “Yeah if you see Woods on the board, obviously you’re going to take note of that.”

Even Nicklaus said during the broadcast, “I’d rather be Tiger at this point,” referring to the obvious and significant pressure McIlroy was feeling in those final five holes, not just to maintain his fragile two-stroke lead with Woods already in the clubhouse, but also with the merciless Bear Trap lying in McIlroy’s path to victory.

And that’s what makes what McIlroy did on Sunday, all the more impressive.

McIlroy didn’t win the Honda Classic because he was driving the ball with his normal superman-like precision and power (he hit only 9 of 14 fairways-in-regulation).  He didn’t win Sunday because of his stellar pinpoint iron play (he hit only 11 of 18 greens in regulation). McIlroy won on Sunday because, like he did all day, especially when he needed it most, he showed a veteran’s poise, an Irishman’s grit, and above all, a champion’s heart.

McIlroy did what a No. 1 player in the world is supposed to do.

McIlroy never gave in to his mistakes, he overcame them.  Need proof?  Every putt McIlroy attempted inside 10-feet, he made.  He carded a ridiculous number, seven, one-putts on the day.  And he was perfect in sand-saves, no. 1 in scrambling.

A tricky par putt on No. 14, was followed by a sliding 10 footer for par on No. 15.  And after yet another par on No. 16, McIlroy’s masterful up and down on No. 17, essentially settled the matter.

On the strength of a gutsy one-under 69 on Sunday, McIlroy was the 2012 Honda Classic Champion.  And the golf world had a its new reigning World No. 1.

Gillis (who considered quitting the tour in 2006) held his own for the better part of the front nine, coming as close as one shot of the McIlroy lead.  But back-to-back bogeys on No. 9 and No. 10,  pushed him four strokes back, and seemed to take away any momentum he had built up to that point.  Gillis’ one-under 69 on the day (10-under overall), was good enough for a tie for second with Woods), his best ever on the PGA Tour.

English, the third player in the final grouping, took his share of rookie lumps on Championship Sunday.  He’ll want to learn from this day certainly, but quickly forget it as well.  A seven-over 77 (three bogeys and three double-bogeys) destroyed any hope English had of contending, leaving him in a disheartening T-18 finish at two-under overall.

Other notable performances on Sunday included Lee Westwood, who finished with a seven-under 63 (5 birdies, eagle, no bogeys), which was the lowest single day score of his career. He finished alone in fourth-place at 8-under.

And Justin Rose, who was in contention until the first leg of the Bear Trap, finished T-5, with an even-par 70 on the day, seven-under overall.  At No. 15, Rose pulled out his 7 iron, hoping grab a share of the lead (at that point being nine-under, just one stroke back of McIlroy).  But his tee shot went right, into the water, and with it went his hopes of winning the Honda Classic.

NOTES:

McIlroy is the second youngest player to achieve the top spot in the Official World Golf Rankings.

With the win McIlroy climbs to No. 4 in the FedExCup point standings, 120 points behind leader Kyle Stanley.

McIlroy’s other PGA Tour victories include the 2010 Quail Hollow Championship, and the 2011 U.S. Open.

Only McIlroy and Gillis carded scores in the 60s for all four rounds at Honda.

Defending Champion Rory Sabbatini finished a disappointing seven-over, 287, T-67 for the tournament, leaving Nicklaus as the only player in Honda Classic history to successfully defend his title.

Click here for more discussion in the “Tour Talk” forum.

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Pete is a journalist, commentator, and interviewer covering the PGA Tour, new equipment releases, and the latest golf fashions. Pete's also a radio and television personality who's appeared multiple times on ESPN radio, and Fox Sports All Bets Are Off. And when he's not running down a story, he's at the range working on his game. Above all else, Pete's the proud son of a courageous mom who battled pancreatic cancer much longer than anyone expected. You can follow Pete on twitter @PGAPappas

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Masters 2024: Reduced-scale clubhouse trophy and green jacket to Scottie Scheffler

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1 day ago

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Apr 15, 2024

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In the world of golf, there is Scotty and there is Scottie. Scotty Cameron gave the world of golf a nickname for a prestigious putter line, and Scottie Scheffler has now given the golf world a blueprint for how to negotiate one of the toughest tournaments to win. Sunday, Scheffler won the Masters tournament for the second time in three years. He separated from the field around the turn, making a trio of birdies at holes eight through 10. On the long walk home, he added three more birdie at 13, 14, and 16, to secure a four-shot win over Masters and major-championship rookie Ludvig Åberg.

As the final group moved along the ninth hole, a quadrilateral stood at 7 under par, tied for the lead. Scheffler, playing partner Collin Morikawa, and penultimate pairing Max Homa and Åberg advanced equally toward Amen Corner, with the resolution of the competition well in doubt. Morikawa flinched first, getting too greedy (his words) at nine and 11. Double bogey at each dropped him farther back than he wished, and he ultimately made a 10-foot putt for bogey at the last, to tie for third position.

Ludvig Åberg made the next mistake. Whether he knew the Ben Hogan story about the approach into 11 or not, he bit off way more than he should have. His approach was never hopeful, and ended short and right in White Dogwood’s pond. Åberg finished the hole in six shots. To his credit, he played the remaining seven holes in two-under figures. Finally, Max Homa was the victim of the finicky winds over Golden Bell, the short, par-3 12th hole. His disbelief was evident, as his tee shot flew everything and landed in azaleas behind the putting surface. After two pitch shots and two putts, Homa also had a double bogey, losing shots that he could not surrender.

Why? At the ninth hole, Scottie Scheffler hit one of the finest approach shots of all time, into the final green of the first nine. Scheffler had six inches for birdie and he converted. At the 10th, he lasered another approach shot into a tricky hole location, then made another fine putt for birdie. Within the space of 30 minutes, Scheffler had seized complete control of the tournament, but Amen Corner still lurked.

At the 11th, Scheffler played safely right with his approach. His chip shot was a wee bit too brave and left him a seven-foot comeback putt for par. He missed on the right side and gave one shot back to the course and field. His tee ball on 12 was safely aboard, and he took two putts for par. On 13, the 2022 champion drove slightly through the fairway, then reached the green, with his first two shots. His seventy-foot-plus putt for eagle eased up, four feet past the hole. His second putt went down, and he was back in the birdie zone. As on nine, his approach to 14 green finished brilliantly within six inches. His final birdie came at the 16th, where he negotiated a nine-foot putt for a deuce.

Scheffler reached 11 under par and stood four shots clear of Ludvig Åberg when he reached the 18th tee. His drive found the lower fairway bunker on the left, and his approach settled in a vale, short and right of the green. With dexterous hands, Scheffler pitched to three feet and made the putt for par. With a big smile, he embraced caddie Ted Scott, who won for the fourth time at Augusta National, and the second with Scheffler. Ludvig Åberg finished alone in second spot, four back of the winner. Not a bad performance for the first-time major championship participant Åberg, and not a bad finish for the world No. 1 and second-time Masters champion, Scottie Scheffler.

 

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5 Things We Learned: Saturday at the Masters

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3 days ago

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Apr 13, 2024

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Just as the honorary starters broke our hearts with the reality of ageing, so too, did Saturday, with the revelation that third-round Tiger Woods is not yet (if ever) what he once was. The great champion struggled mightily to an 82, tied with three others for high round of the day. Among the top ten, the worst score posted was DeChambeau’s 75, but the large Californian remains in the hunt. Day four will see 2022 champion Scottie Scheffler pair with Collin Morikawa in the final game. In front of them will be Max Homa and Ludwig Åberg. The antipenultimate pairing will feature DeChambeau and Xander Schauffele.

If you look at the one-off major winners, most took advantage of their only chance at grand slam glory. For golfers like Homa, Schauffele, and others, Sunday the 14th might represent their best and only chance at claiming a major title. For Scheffler, Morikawa, and DeChambeau, the ability to join the two-time and three-time, major winners club holds great appeal. Finally, a young’un like Åberg seeks to jump-start a more-than-tour-winner career with a major title. Many of the greats won them early, and the Swede from Texas Tech would love nothing more than a chance to join that company.

Sunday at Augusta, as always, will be riveting. It will provide hope throughout the first nine holes, then gut many a competitor’s heart coming home, rewarding just one with a new item for the wardrobe. Plan your menu and choose your outfit. Masters 2024 is about to conclude. Until then, let’s reveal five things that we learned on day three of the year’s first men’s major.

1. The three most critical holes on the first nine are …

numbers four through six. You might make some birdies at the first and last trios of holes, but the middle triumvirate of fairways and greens determines your day. Play them even par or better, and you’ll lose zero shots to the field. Get on a downward spiral of slightly-wayward shots, and recovery will be nigh impossible. Anyone who makes three at the fifth, as Tiger Woods did on Saturday, will get giddy.

2. The three most important holes on the second nine are …

ten through twelve. We realize that we commit heresy by omitting one of Herbert Warren Wind’s Amen Corner traces, but par or better is critical at 10. Dry landings at 11 and 12 set the competitor up for two par fives in three holes, sandwiched around a straightforward, par-four hole. Remember when Ben Crenshaw began his march to glory in 1995? It all started with birdie at the 10th.

3. The most interesting and efficient round of day three came from …

Collin Morikawa. Birdies at the first three holes, followed by bogey-birdie at six and eight, then ten consecutive pars to finish off the second-low round of the day. Morikawa has improved each day, from 71 to 70 to 69. He has won majors in England and California. He has the temperment for this sort of day, but will certainly be in the hottest of all cauldrons around 3 pm on Sunday.

4. The guy who lost the most ground on day three was …

Nikolai Hojgaard. The dude failed to make par from the seventh green to the 16th. After three consecutive birdies around the turn (8 through 10), the Great Dane tumbled to earth with five consecutive bogeys. 11 and 12, we understand, but 13 and 15 are par-five holes, for goodness sake! No matter where he finds himself on day four’s back nine, it will be hard to put that stretch of golf out of his mind.

5. Our pick for the green jacket is …

impossible to nail. We suspect that certain players should and could perform on Sunday. We remember when Retief Goosen, a great US Open winner until round four of 2005, lost his mojo. We recall days when Rich Beam and Y.E. Yang pulled major titles away from Tiger Woods. Things go wrong on Sunday, and they go wrong super-quick at Augusta.

We’ve decided to ascend Mount Olympus for our Sunday selection. Who better than the 2021 Olympic champion to add a long-awaited, first major title. It’s Professor X for us: Xander Schauffele.

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5 Things We Learned: Friday at the Masters

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3 days ago

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Apr 13, 2024

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You don’t see leaves on the ground at Augusta National. The grounds crew and superintendent’s staff take care of those sorts of things, so that both course appearance and consistency of play are preserved at the top tier. We saw leaves on the ground today and, given the force and perseverance of the wind, we’re lucky that we didn’t see tree trunks along the fairways. We did see higher scores than secured in round one, and some of the three- and four-hole stretches were downright inconceivable. The cut after 36 holes came at six over par, and five dozen golfers reached the weekend of play. Numbers always define the story of a tournament, and we’ll let them define the five things we learned on day two of the 2024 Masters tournament.

One: 60 + 10

Sixty golfers posted scores of 148 or better through 36 holes, to reach weekend play. Ten more golfers posted 149 and missed the cut by a single stroke. The ones who missed the cut by a stroke included former champions Mike Weir, Zach Johnson, and Sergio Garcia. Also among the brood were current US Open champion Wyndham Clark, and Nick Dunlap, who won on the PGA Tour as an amateur in January, and subsequently turned professional. Of the ones who survived by the slimmest of margins, surviving to the weekend were former champions Jose Maria Olazabal, Hideki Matsuyama, and Adam Scott, along with Rickie Fowler and Tom Kim. Golf’s cut is a cruel and unconcerned blade, and each Masters tournament reminds us of this fact.

Two: One

The number of amateurs to make the cut in the 2024 Masters is solitary. His name is Neil Shipley, and most folks love him. He wears his hair to the shoulder, and appears to have the proper balance of intensity and chill. Shipley opened with 71, then held on for 76 on day two. He made the cut by three shots, and will collect his share of hardware on Sunday. It’s safe to say that Shipley will turn his attention to learning the course, as well as his own self under pressure.

Three: 23

For most sorts fans, 23 recalls the greatest NBA player of all time, Michael Jordan. For Justin Thomas, it’s a number that will haunt him for a long time. Thomas reached tee number fifteen on Friday at even par. The two-time PGA Champion played the subsequent, four-hole stretch in 23 shots, missing the cut by a shot. On fifteen, he went for the green in two, in some sort of halfhearted manner. He got wet with shot number two, went long with his pitch, and three-putted from the fringe. On sixteen, he played away from safety and found elevated sand. His blast went down the hill, and he missed his approach putt in the wrong place. On seventeen, he missed his drive right and his approach long, and lost another shot to par. The coup de grace took place on the home hole: drive so horribly left that he had to pitch out to the fairway and hit three metal into the green. His third double bogey in four holes dropped him all the way to 151 and plus seven. Among the many questions, the foremost one was why he dropped his longtime caddy on the eve of a major championship. Surely Bones would have saved him one of those shots, and perhaps more.

Four: Forty-Nine divided by five or six

Tiger Woods cannot possibly win title number six at Augusta in his 49th year, can he? Not on this broken body, and not from seven strokes behind, right? Not with so few competitive rounds over the most recent months, and not one year removed from a third-round withdrawal from this very tournament. Well, if he cannnot possibly win, allow us to dream and hope a bit, and hold on to a fantasy.

Five: 3 that we like

We like Scottie Scheffler, of course. He seems to have a sense of Augusta National, and he was able to hold on in 2023 for the championship. We like Nikolai Hojgaard, because he might have just the proper combination of naivete and experience for a first-time winner. Finally, we like Collin Morikawa, a winner of two separate major titles. Winning at Augusta National requires a certain amount of length, unless you putt lights out. Morikawa might be embedded in one of those putting weeks.

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