Rory McIlroy completed the best weekend comeback of his career to successfully defend his title and win a record fourth Dubai Desert Classic.
The Northern Irishman’s previous biggest recovery with two rounds to go was from five shots back at the 2015 BMW PGA Championship but having begun round three 10 adrift he closed out a one-stroke victory at the Emirates Golf Club.
Saturday’s 63 catapulted him into contention but there were far fewer fireworks in his final round and, while McIlroy escaped with some loose shots, rivals Cameron Young and Adrian Meronk were unable to exert any meaningful pressure.
“If the scores on the weekend had been flipped and I shot 70, 63, I’d probably be like ‘Yeah, that was amazing’,” said McIlroy, who finished 14 under.
“The course definitely played a little trickier at the weekend. After I finished on Friday I thought if I shot two 67s over the weekend I would have a decent chance to win, and if that had been the case I would have tied on 13 under.
“I wasn’t too far away with the prediction and I went one better than that and ended up winning the tournament.”
McIlroy, who now has a victory and a second place in his first two starts of the season, added: “I played that front nine so well that I didn’t really have to do anything that special on the back nine just to get the thing won.
“I got away with a couple of things: I didn’t make birdie on 10 and then I made the bogey on 13. Luckily for me the guys around me didn’t make a ton of birdies on the way in.
“I knew I always had one or two shots to play with so I think that gave me a certain level of comfort.”
McIlroy began the day two shots behind leader Young but his birdie after driving the 351-yard second, combined with the American’s bogeys at four and six, saw the advantage swing a stroke in the Northern Irishman’s favour.
And with Young not recording his first birdie until the 10th, Meronk emerged as his chief challenger – briefly sharing the lead before chipping across the seventh green and into the water for a double-bogey five.
McIlroy extended his lead to three at the turn with successive birdies including from 31 feet on the eighth.
His only real moment of concern came with a first bogey in 38 holes at the 13th, where he could not escape from the waste area at the first attempt after taking an aggressive line and going too far left.
Meronk’s third birdie since the turn put him within one but then he bogeyed the 16th while McIlroy brilliantly salvaged par from the left waste area, meaning two closing pars were enough to secure his landmark win.
McIlroy’s positive start to 2024 will give him renewed optimism he can break his nine-year major drought, with the chance to complete a career Grand Slam first up at the Masters in April.
“Augusta is still a long way away in golfing terms. A lot can change in two and a half months,” he said.
“But it’s always nice nice to feel like you’re playing well going into it.
“I’ve still got some big events to come but until that first or second week in April at least a part of my mind is going to be towards getting myself absolutely ready for there.”
Tiger Woods given special exemption to play in U.S. Open at Pinehurst
Tiger Woods will play in next month's U.S. Open at Pinehurst after accepting a special exemption.
The 15-time major winner had been set to miss out on competing in the event for the first time in his professional career after failing to qualify.
However, Woods – whose five-year exemption for winning the Masters in 2019 has expired – has been given a special invitation by organisers.
"The U.S. Open, our national championship, is a truly special event for our game and one that has helped define my career," Woods said.
"I'm honoured to receive this exemption and could not be more excited for the opportunity to compete in this year's U.S. Open, especially at Pinehurst, a venue that means so much to the game."
Woods, ranked 789th in the world, has played just two tournaments this year as he continues to struggle with a leg injury sustained in a car accident three years ago.
The 48-year-old finished 60th in last month's Masters after making the cut for a 24th successive time.
Woods is a three-time winner of the US Open, most recently doing so in 2008, with this year's event beginning on June 13.
Young golfers perform well at trials for Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship
Jamaica's young golfers recently completed their three-day trials at the Caymanas Golf Club where they performed well under challenging conditions.
The trials were geared towards selecting the team for this year's Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship which will also be held at the Caymanas Golf Club in early July of this year.
Trey Williams led the boys while Mattea Issa led the girls with outstanding performances. Williams was the only golfer to post an under-par score with a two-under-par 70 on the final day.
Williams faced six competitors in the Boys 18 and Under category. He posted eight over par 80, four over par 76 and two under par 70 for the three days respectively, for a combined total of 10 over par 226 which is his best placement in a local competition to date.
"I feel really good about it. After the first day I was down by a good amount but I just kept my cool. I knew that I can play this course well and for the next two days I just made sure I played conservative and I gave it my all and it worked out" said Williams.
He now looks forward to the championships.
"Seeing how the championship is at this very course and I know I can play well at this course I am going to continue to practice, make sure that my game is at the top that it can be and give it my all when the championship comes and make sure that I can do well."
Aman Dhiman was second with scores of 72, 84 and 78 for a total score of 18 over par 234 while Ryan Lue was two strokes back on 236 (76, 83, 77).
Issa, with scores of 81, 80 and 81 (242), said that the trials conditions were difficult.
"To set the scene, the layout of the course was very difficult. Where they put the pins and where they put the tee boxes, they made the course as hard as possible for us kids to challenge us and then also the conditions of the course like the wind and the condition of the grass and the bunkers. That wasn't in the best condition so obviously it was unpredictable where the ball might go at certain times and the speed of the greens and things like that so you have to take that in consideration before analyzing the scores and analyzing the weekend."
The other female competitor in the Girls 18 and Under category was Anoushka Katri. She scored 107, 99 and 94 for a three-day total of 300.
Results in the other age groups were: Boys 15 and U - Kemari Morris - 256 (89, 81, 86), Davion Hogan 263 (85, 94, 84) and Cameron Coe 273 (92, 92, 89); Boys 13 and U - Shasa Redlefsen 245 (83, 82, 80) and Girls 13 and U - Alessandra Coe 266 (92, 88, 86).
The team, when announced will under-go intense preparation by coach Jonathan Newnham who was himself a successful junior golfer, and coach Jason Lopez who has guided several junior teams to the CAJGC.
Newnham was pleased with what he saw at the trials. "I feel good that everybody had enough good signs this week and we have a few months to prepare. We obviously will know the course very well by the time the champs come around so I am excited for this group and I think it's fair to say that within most if not all the categories we have a chance to do well individually, which if we do well individually that bodes well for the team championship as well."
Lopez on the other hand was happy with the mix of players at the trials. "We have a nice new crop of guys and girls who are coming up. A lot of young players and exciting players and obviously developing players and you have some guys like Trey (Williams) who have been around for a while. I think overall the kids performed well. I think the conditions were tough which is always good to see the kids tested. Today was not an easier day because there was a lack of wind but we know that come the championship time in July it’s gonna be very windy so it's nice to see those conditions replicated. I think the kids handled it very well."
According to Alison Reid, the convener for junior golf, the trials is "almost like a test run for the actual event because this is the course they are gonna play in the event and this is pressure condition because they are each trying to make the team so it’s like a mini tournament. It really puts them under the same amount of pressure."
Sandals Foundation's Care for Kids Junior Programme shaping stars on and off the golf course
With the lush greens of the picturesque Sandals Golf and Country Club in Upton at their disposal, a number of young talents took centre stage as they paraded their skills in the inaugural drive, chip and putt tournament.
Hosted by the Sandals Foundation, through their Care for Kids Junior Golf Programme, the tournament, not only treated the aspiring stars to a day of excitement, but also served as a qualifier for the prestigious Sandals Golf and Jerk Festival, scheduled for June.
Among the 13 competitors, who graced the course on Saturday was 12-year-old Cavani James, whose passion for the sport and unwavering determination shone brightly as he executed well in all three strokes to emerge victorious. James tallied a score of 75 to finish ahead of Jerone Thomas (66) and Tyreek Smith (58).
By virtue of their performances, all three junior golfers secured spots in the Sandals Golf and Jerk Festival – an exciting sports and food event –where they will be paired with their senior counterparts.
For James, golf is more than just a game, it is a lifelong dream in the making. From the moment he first picked up a club two years ago while attending Exchange Primary, James knew that he had found his calling.
His appetite for the sport intensified even more when he started attending weekend sessions under the guidance of Sandals golf pro Bill Williams, who has nurtured homegrown talents such Romaine Williams and others.
With each swing and each putt, James, fuelled by a burning desire to excel on the golf course, honed his skills, and the Ocho Rios High student recently showcased that skill with a level of maturity beyond his years.
Throughout the tournament, James faced stiff competition from older players and fellow aspiring young golfers alike. But with nerves of steel and a steady hand, he navigated the challenges with precision and poise.
"I feel very good to have won the tournament, especially because I was late in getting to the course and I thought that I wasn't going to make it, but God had other plans for me. So, I am really happy, the tournament itself was also a challenge, anybody who knows golf knows it can be frustrating when the strokes don’t come off how you want them to, but it was good,” James said.
“My expectation is very high for the Sandals Golf and Jerk Festival, I know it is going to be good for me because when I start playing in more tournaments, the better I will get because my ambitions are to go as far as possible in the sport. So, I am going to keep working on what I have to with Mr. Bill [Williams] because I would like to go far in this sport, not only for me, but also to make my mother proud,” he added.
Patrice Gilpin, Sandals Foundation’s public relations manager pointed out that the tournament was another testament of the foundation’s years of hard work and dedication. But more than that, she said it also gave a glimpse into a bright future filled with endless possibilities as the sky is the limit for the young golfing prodigies.
Beyond golf, Gilpin explained that the Care for Kids Programme, which engages kids between the ages of seven and 18 years old, through weekly mentorship training programme, also imparts life skills that prepares them to navigate whatever challenges lay ahead.
“Even if they're not sure about golf, they learn something different, something new. Sports is an amazing avenue that teaches young people personal responsibility, discipline, teamwork, how to be resilient, and how to continue to work at themselves. So, they're learning very targeted soft skills through this programme that also provides very keen mentors for them throughout these very delicate stages of their development,” Gilpin reasoned.
She continued: “So our care for kids go program has been doing an amazing job over the years. We've had kids graduate from the programme and represent Jamaica on the international level. We have two of the current students right now chosen for the Caribbean Amateur golf tournament that's coming up in July.
“So, it's been a very successful programme for us, and it was beautiful just to see the young boys and girls put their heart and souls into showcasing their skills and doing their best in order to qualify to be part of the huge, the bigger tournament that's coming up in June.”
Meanwhile, Jonathan Newnham, director of golf at the Sandals Golf and Country Club, echoed similar sentiments.
“It was great to see the progress of the juniors. They were a little nervous, as expected, but they were able to gather themselves and really perform. The top three started off very rough, but produced a great comeback at the end, so I made sure to stress that as a great lesson that goes beyond the sport of golf, but for life as well. Even if you're down early, don't give. I'm really looking forward to them. getting that opportunity to test themselves against the experienced players in June, and it will only help them going forward,” Newnham noted.
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