Rory McIlroy will try to figure out ‘Sunday problem’ after Doral finale
Rory McIlroy didn’t get it done on Sunday at Doral, and that bucks a multi-year trend for the four-time major winner.
McIlroy came into the final round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship with a three-shot edge, but he didn’t make a birdie until the 16th hole at the Blue Monster. That birdie came after three bogeys, and it was too late. The Ulsterman shot 2-over 74 and finished tied for third with Danny Willett, two shots behind eventual winner Adam Scott.
This is just the third time in nine chances that McIloy has failed to convert an outright 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour. It’s the first time he hasn’t finished off a Saturday night lead since the 2014 Honda Classic, where McIlroy finished tied for second place.
Unfortunately for McIlroy, this is the second time in three weeks that he has floundered on Sunday. Two weeks ago at the Northern Trust Open, McIlroy was tied for fifth and had a chance to win. However, he shot 5-over 75 to finish in a tie for 20th place. On this Sunday, he carded another over-par closing round.
McIlroy doesn’t want this to become a trend.
“It’s frustrating because it’s two out of the last three weeks,” McIlroy said. “I was leading the golf tournament with 16 holes to play in Riviera. I was leading this golf tournament going into the back nine, and to not get the job done in either two of those instances is very frustrating.”
Overall, though, McIlroy put himself in position to win, and he feels good with his choice to go to a left-hand-low putting grip.
“I feel like my game is in good shape,” he said. “I just need to figure out what I’m doing in these final rounds and try to rectify it.”
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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