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A20 SPORTS
Monday 19 March 2018
The last roars are for Rory McIlroy at Bay Hill
By DOUG FERGUSON was within shot of the lead pretty special."
AP Golf Writer as everyone behind him on That gave him a two-shot
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The the course appeared to lead, and he was a winner
loudest roars at Bay Hill stall. for the 22nd time world-
were for tiger Woods. The One shot changed ev- wide when DeChambeau
last ones were for Rory Mc- erything. Woods couldn't failed to hole out from the
Ilroy. commit to a swing with his fairway for eagle.
McIlroy left some indelible driver on the par-5 16th DeChambeau made bo-
images of his own Sunday hole and sent it far and left gey from the bunker on the
at the Arnold Palmer Invi- — way left — over a fence 18th for a 68 and finished
tational with a back-nine and out-of-bounds, send- alone in second.
charge that would have ing him to a bogey when Justin Rose lingered all day
made the King proud, and he couldn't afford anything but was never a threat
a final putt on the 18th less than birdie. over the final hour, instead
green that a delirious gal- He finished bogey-bogey- watching McIlroy put on a
lery had seen for so many par for a 3-under 69 and stunning charge.
years from Woods. tumbled down the leader- "Rory played incredible golf
McIlroy ran off five birdies board into a tie for fifth. and it was fun — great to
over his last six holes and That's about when McIlroy see world class players do
closed with an 8-under 64 pulled away. that," Rose said after a 67.
for a three-shot victory. He Until then, five players were "It's not great to see him
won for the first time since separated by one shot. Be- make putts because he
the Tour Championship fore long, McIlroy was leav- was making them against
on Sept. 25, 2016, the day ing everyone in his wake. me. But when he is making
Palmer died. He made a 15-foot birdie putts, he's incredibly hard
"I wish I walked up that hill putt on the 13th to take the to beat. So it was fun to
and got a handshake from lead over hard-luck Henrik watch him play."
him," McIlroy said. "But I'm Stenson, and then rolled Stenson lost a third chance
so happy to put my name one in from 20 feet on the in four years to win the Ar-
on that trophy." next hole. If that wasn't nold Palmer Invitational. He
Bay Hill was rocking all af- enough, McIlroy chipped led by as many as two shots
ternoon, mostly for that red in from 40 feet on the 15th on the front nine before the
shirt. Woods, who started hole, and then pounded a putts stopped falling. Two
the final round five shot Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, holds the championship tro- 375-yard drive on the 16th shots behind playing the
behind, made three bird- phy after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament that set up a two-putt bird- 16th, Stenson three-putted
ies in a four-hole stretch Sunday, March 18, 2018, in Orlando, Fla. ie. for par and bogeyed the
to start the back nine and Associated Press Bryson DeChambeau final hole for a 71. He fin-
made the last run at him, ished fourth.
gouging a shot out of the Woods tied for fifth with
rough, over the water and Ryan Moore (71), and now
onto the green at No. 16 heads to the Masters with
and pumping his fist when plenty of momentum — just
the eagle putt caught not a victory.
enough of the cup to drop He finished one shot behind
in. That put him one shot last week at Innisbrook. He
behind. was one-shot behind with
McIlroy, however, wasn't three holes to play at Bay
finished. He left his putt Hill, though it would have
about 25 feet above the needed more than just a
hole on No. 18, roughly few birdies the way McIlroy
the same spot from where played.
Woods made birdie putts Even so, Woods finished
to win in 2001, 2008 and among the top 12 in all
2009. Woods slammed his three events in the Florida
cap to the ground in 2008, Swing. His next stop is the
not realizing he had done Masters, where he will be
that. a favorite to win his fifth
McIlroy buried the putt, green jacket. And to think
raised both arms in the air that just over six months
and turned to slam his fist ago, Woods hadn't been
as the grandstands erupt- cleared by his doctors to
ed with cheers. hit balls after fusion surgery
"I've seen Tiger make that on his lower back, his fourth
enough times to know back surgery dating to the
what it does," McIlroy said. spring of 2014.
"So I just wanted to try and "If you would have asked
emulate that. Didn't quite me at the beginning of the
give it the hat toss — I was year that I would have had
thinking about doing it. But a chance to win two golf
just to be able to create tournaments, I would have
my own little bit of history taken that in a heartbeat,"
on the 18th green here is he said.q
