ORLANDO, Fla. – Walking up to the 18th green, Rory McIlroy took a look at the massive leaderboard and knew what he had to do.
With Marc Leishman at 11 under, one stroke ahead, McIlroy needed to give his 30-foot birdie putt a chance.
“I definitely gave the putt a run, that’s for sure,” he said. “A bit too much of a run.”
McIlroy’s putt raced 7 feet past, and he missed the comebacker, too, for a deflating bogey. He finished in a tie for fourth, which was still good enough to return him to No. 2 in the world.
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After a slow start to the week, McIlroy shot 10 under on the weekend when the conditions were firm and fast.
Though he doesn’t yet have a victory this year, McIlroy has finished inside the top 7 in all three starts. Next week’s WGC-Match Play is his final tournament before Augusta.
“It’s been good,” he said of his form. “I haven’t had the win that I’ve wanted, but it’s been good, consistent play and that hopefully bodes well for the year ahead.”
