Rory McIlroy: The Shot That Changed A Season

By Les Bailey | Oct 2, 2014

Mar 2, 2014; Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA; Rory McIlroy lines up an eagle putt on the 18th hole during the final round of The Honda Classic golf tournament at PGA National GC Champion Course won by Russell Henley on the first playoff hole.. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

I have written, and said since last February that Rory McIlroy’s shot at the 72nd hole of the Honda Classic was one of the best I had ever seen. Turns out that Rory himself went on record after being named 2014 PGA Tour Player of the Year on Wednesday, and confirmed my opinion. From an article on PGATour.com by Brian Wacker, tells the whole story.

It was a five wood from 236 yards to the 18th hole at TPC National, to a pin out on a peninsula. He dropped it in at 12 feet, setting up a winning eagle putt. Rory missed the putt, and lost to Russell Henley in a playoff, but that shot turned his season, and career around.

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After a disastrous 2013 season tha featured an equipment change and girlfriend problems, Rory had made his way partially back to normal by defeating Adam Scott int he final round of the Aussie Open, but getting that first win on the PGA Tour was difficult.

He had gotten to the top of the leaderboard on the heels of an opening 63 on Thursday, and followed on Friday with a 66. He started to fade a little on Saturday carding a 69, and Sunday turned into a late fiasco that produced a double bogey at 16, and a bogey at 17.

After the phenomenal shot at 18, he still had to make birdie to make the playoff.

"“I think Honda was a big point for me just to get myself in the mix again at a PGA TOUR event and nearly pull off the win,” said McIlroy, who on Wednesday was named PGA TOUR Player of the Year. “I didn’t quite play well enough on Sunday, but that gave me a lot of belief going forward that I could play well this season.”"

Following the Honda, Rory finished in the top 10 in four the the following five starts. After a T8 at Augusta, he got into a rut where he would have a nice opening round, and follow on Friday with a score in the 70’s. He was able to break that tendency at Wentworth and win the BMW Masters.

The rest we always say, is history. Rory went wire to wire at Royal Liverpool, secured his first Claret Jug, won his first World Golf Championship, and added his fourth major at Valhalla.

The 25 year-old McIlroy becomes only the fourth player in history to be named the Player of the Year multiple times. He joins Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, and Nick Price in that category. He is only the third European Tour player to win this award. Luke Donald was POY in 2011, and Padraig Harrington in 2008.

"“It’s a very important honor for players to be voted Player of the Year by your peers,” McIlroy said. “They’re the guys that you’re trying to beat week in, week out, and the other guys see you put the hard work in, and to know that they appreciate what you’ve put into it and how well that you’ve played, it’s a great honor and a great honor to win twice in the space of three years, and hopefully I can win it for many more years to come.”"

And it all came back with a perfectly struck five wood at the Honda Classic!

Source: PGATour.com