Rory McIlroy will most likely revert to the tried and trusted when he heads to the Masters next month in seeking to add the final piece to the jigsaw in his quest to complete the career Grand Slam.
McIlroy, the world number three, used new equipment – in drivers and fairway woods – at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando, Florida, but spent too much time playing from the rough in a tournament won by Russell Henley, who closed with a 70 for 277 to win by a stroke from overnight leader Collin Morikawa.
While Shane Lowry’s quest for the title went astray with an error-strewn third round, the Offaly man shot a final round 70 for a total of six-under-par 282 that gave him a seventh-place finish which further strengthened his Ryder Cup points standing. But McIlroy’s disappointing weekend had him thinking of reverting to old type in his bid for a green jacket.
McIlroy, who closed with a 72 for 285 in tied-15th, is headed to The Players at TPC Sawgrass with the intention of reverting back to his old driver after an experimental use of new driver and fairway clubs.
Rory McIlroy to ditch driver experiment, while Shane Lowry continues good form
Shane Lowry slips six shots off the pace after error-strewn Arnold Palmer Invitational third round
Shane Lowry goes top of leaderboard at Arnold Palmer Invitational after 67
McIlroy changes his driver and fairway woods for tilt at $20m Arnold Palmer Invitational
Of his decision to try something new, McIlroy admitted: “There’s pros and cons to it, and it’s a blessing and a curse at the same time that we sort of have to go through these 12-month club cycles. I probably just didn’t give myself enough time. It can look good on the Trackman and it can look good on the range at home at the Bear’s Club or on the golf course, but once you get out here in these conditions that’s where it really shows itself and it just wasn’t quite ready.”
McIlroy has yet to finalise his scheduling up to the Masters, playing The Players this week but leaving open the possibility of adding to his itinerary in that quest to claim the missing link of his career Grand Slam.
Lowry continued his strong start to the season with another top-10, projected to move him to eighth on the FedEx Cup standings.
Having led through 36 holes, Lowry suffered a speed bump with a third round 76 but responded with a final round 70 that gave him solo seventh place which strengthened his FedEx Cup and Ryder Cup standings and he brings momentum to The Players.
For Henley, a fifth PGA Tour win gave the 35-year-old American the biggest success of his career as he played catch-up on Morikawa for a one-shot lead. Henley’s closing 70 for 11-under-par 277 included a tournament winning chip-in for eagle on the Par 5 16th that propelled him into the lead: “This game is just so hard and that was so unbelievably difficult,” said Henley, winning for the first time since his World Wide Technology title in Mexico in 2022.
Keegan Bradley, the US Ryder Cup captain, covered the front nine in just 29 strokes in ultimately signing for a final round 64 for 281 that lifted him to tied-fifth.
Meanwhile, Dubliner Max Kennedy – playing on a sponsor’s invite dating back to his time as a student at the University of Louisville – marked his debut on the PGA Tout with a closing 74 for a total of six-under-par 282 to finish in tied-70th in the Puerto Rico Open, which was won by Australian Karl Vilips.
In the LIV Golf Hong Kong tournament won by Sergio Garcia, Tom McKibbin finished in tied-sixth position.
