Resilient McIlroy wins in Shanghai

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Rory McIlroy showed on Sunday that last spring's misfortune at the Masters in Augusta has forged a much more resilient golfer than the one who began the season trading under the same name.

McIlroy began the final round of the Shanghai Masters in China with a 3-stroke lead, but surrendered that to a surging Anthony Kim, only to come back and take the title in a sudden death playoff. Contributing to McIlroy's travails on Sunday were a water ball at the ninth hole and a 3-putt misadventure at the 11th that allowed Kim to go one up. He shot even-par 72, while Kim fashioned a round of 69. They both finished 72 holes 18 strokes under par at 270.

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The first extra hole provided Kim with his chance to come up short as he missed a 3-foot putt for par. McIlroy had only to roll the ball in from two feet and he had his fourth title as a pro.

"My goal is to keep improving and learning ways to win tournaments, and for me this kind of concentration is important," McIlroy said. "Even when Anthony was level and then went ahead, I kept telling myself there was only one shot in it and to keep playing the same way. After four playoffs, maybe I am getting a bit better at this, but I did have a better lie than Anthony."

Padraig Harrington tied for ninth place in this event. He shot 282 (67-70-73-72).

EUROPEAN TOUR

A fourth-place finish in the Andalucia Masters at Valderrama in Spain did nothing to improve Shane Lowry's standing in the Race to Dubai. With three regular-season events left to play, he's in 63rd place, needing to move up at least three rungs to qualify for the season finale.

Lowry finished the tournament three strokes under par at 281 (72-71-71-67) and three strokes in back of Sergio Garcia, who posted back-to-back victories on his home soil. Lowry's final-round score shared low honors for the day.

Peter Lawrie finished joint-15th at 288 (70-73-76-69). Valderrama's opening holes posed a challenge that he was not up to. He took eight bogeys at the first three holes over the four days, offset by only one birdie.

At 54th on the Race to Dubai, and playing in good form, Lawrie appears likely to tee off in the Middle East in December.

Graeme McDowell is also secure in his positioning (24th) to ensure his participation in Dubai, but what kind of attitude he packs for the trip is very much in question. He won this event last year and was playing respectably with opening rounds of 73 when the floor fell out from under him over the weekend.

McDowell didn't put a single birdie on his card over those 36 holes, while suffering 14 bogeys, two doubles and one triple. The numbers added up to 81 on Saturday and 82 on Sunday. He finished 54th and last, with five strokes separating him from the pair above him in 52nd place.

Gareth Maybin and Damien McGrane did nothing to help themselves in their quests to remain inside the top 115 on the Race to Dubai and, thus, hold onto their Tour cards for 2012. They both missed the cut by two strokes.

PGA TOUR Q-SCHOOL

Fergal Rafferty made it through first-stage qualifying by the skin of his teeth. Rafferty, out of Carrickmore, Omagh in Co. Derry, played at Lantana Golf Club in Lantana, Tex., and was well situated heading into the fourth and final round, as he was then two strokes lower than what would have been the high qualifying number at that point.

Rafferty was two strokes over par through 12 holes when something kicked in. He reeled off birdies at 13 and 14, took bogey at 15, and got back on the birdie bus, which he rode through 16 and 17. He finished his round one stroke under par at 71, following rounds of 74, 69 and 72, which left him right on the high number to eke by, 2-under-par 286.

Rafferty joins Chris Devlin and Seamus Power as Ireland's hopes going forward. Second stage commences Nov. 15 and encompasses six sites around the country. The 108-hole, final stage at PGA West in La Quinta, Cal., begins Nov. 30.

 

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