For the second time in three years, Rory McIlroy took the least number of shots to finish 72 holes and yet saw someone else walked away with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship’s Falcon Trophy.
The world No7 finished one shot behind champion Pablo Larrazabal after a round of four-under 68, but his 13-under par effort for the week would have been two shots better if it wasn’t for the penalty he incurred for not taking full relief from a spectators’ crossway during Saturday’s third round.
It was eerily similar to his fate in 2012, when he finished one shot behind Robert Rock, having been docked two shots for absentmindedly brushing sand from the line of his putt on the second day.
It would have been a second straight win for the 24-year-old in full-field events, having won in his previous start at the Emirates Australian Open in December last year, but despite battling hard, he could not get past a rock-solid Larrazabal.
The disappointment was very evident on his face after the round, and when asked if he could describe his frustration, he said: “No, I can’t. I feel like I’m standing here and I should be 15‑under par for the tournament and win by one. But that’s the way it goes.
“I played the least shots of anyone this week. So, I can count it as a moral victory more than anything else. Yeah…it’s frustrating. I’ve played well the whole week. It’s a very positive start to the season so I’m not going to let one little negative ruin that.”
Asked if he had put the disappointment of Saturday’s ruling incident behind him by the time he teed up yesterday, McIlroy said: “I did. I was in the gym, and then just had a quiet night, quiet meal and went to bed. Caroline (Wozniacki) came in this morning early and surprised me, so it was nice.
“But only until I finished one behind on the 18th and then it started to dawn on me if that had not happened, I would have won. But that’s the way it goes. I tried to win today and nearly did.
“But Pablo played very well. I can’t take anything away from him. When he needed to, he hit the shots, and the two shots he hit into 18 were straight out of the top drawer, so fair play to him.
“He’s a good guy, one of my closer friends out here and it was good to see him get the win," added McIlroy who next plays the Omega Dubai Desert Classic
The Ulsterman also feels he has taken a lot of positive out of his first performance of the year. “I’m really happy. Even last year, I was always really happy with how I handled myself under the pressure and down the stretch.
“I played very similarly to the way I played the last few days, not many mistakes. I made my first bogey of the tournament today on the fifth and it was a good bogey. After that, I played very solid, just the way I’ve been playing.
“That’s something I’ve really wanted to work on as well, course management‑wise, and I guess playing the smart shots at times and not making as many mistakes.
“I made…well, just one double bogey, but I only dropped three shots really this tournament, which is very satisfying.
“When I needed to make up‑and‑downs, I did. And I definitely didn’t let Pablo have it. I made him fight for it until the end, so I’m proud of myself for that.”
