Rory McIlroy has expressed frustration at four holes that proved costly during his AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am campaign, believing they denied him a genuine shot at victory.
The Northern Irishman secured a share of 14th position in California, pocketing £251,234 in prize money after finishing five shots adrift of champion Collin Morikawa.
Despite closing with a flawless 64 on Sunday — his strongest performance of the week — the world No 2 was left reflecting on what might have been.
The 36-year-old’s title defence never truly gained momentum, with a series of damaging holes undermining otherwise impressive golf throughout the tournament.
McIlroy’s week was characterised by dramatic swings, with three double bogeys and a triple bogey appearing on his card alongside two eagles and numerous birdies.
“I wish I could have those four holes back this week,” he said.
“I played 68 really good ones and even if you turn those three doubles into bogeys and that triple into a bogey, that’s five shots and all of a sudden you’re looking at a lead.”
Rory McIlroy has expressed frustration at four holes that proved costly during his AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am campaign, believing they denied him a genuine shot at victory
|
GETTY
The lapses in concentration proved particularly frustrating given the quality of golf he produced elsewhere, including a stunning run of four birdies across five holes during his final round, followed by three more between the 11th and 14th.
Despite the setbacks, McIlroy remained upbeat about the state of his game heading into this week’s action.
“That’s all I felt like I needed to tidy up, because the good stuff in there is really, really good,” he said.
Five things to know about Rory McIlroy | GETTY
The four-time major champion pointed to his ball-striking as a particular source of confidence, noting that his iron play had been sharp and his driving largely reliable throughout the week.
He acknowledged a couple of wayward tee shots during his third round but insisted his overall form felt solid.
“All in all, some really good stuff this week and pretty encouraging going into next week, for sure,” McIlroy added.
McIlroy now turns his attention to The Genesis Invitational, another Signature Event on the PGA Tour calendar where he placed tied 17th twelve months ago.
Rory McIlroy endured a frustrating weekend as his hopes of retaining his title at Pebble Beach took a hit
|
GETTY
Defending champion Ludvig Aberg will also feature in the California tournament.
His compatriot Shane Lowry enjoyed a stronger week at Pebble Beach, finishing one stroke ahead of McIlroy in a six-way share of eighth place worth £377,546.
Scottie Scheffler came agonisingly close to victory in a thrilling final day, with the world number one producing the first three-eagle round of his PGA Tour career en route to a 63.
The result extended his extraordinary run to 18 consecutive top-10 finishes.
