"Bash Brothers" triumph as McIlroy rediscovers putting touch
Brooks Koepka of the United States hits his tee shot on the second hole during the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on February 07, 2021 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
RORY MCILROY rediscovered his putting touch in the Phoenix desert as former “Bash Brothers” Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka started the Masters countdown with emphatic wins on opposite sides of the globe.
Johnson overcame a putting drought in the Arabian sands to win his second Saudi International title in three years, chiselling out a two-under 68 to triumph by two strokes from Tony Finau and Justin Rose on 15-under.
Meanwhile in Arizona, McIlroy fired nine birdies in a seven-under 64 to finish tied 13th behind Johnson’s former close pal Koepka, who won for the first time in 18 months when he shot 65 to win his second Waste Management Phoenix Open.
With just eight weeks to go to the Masters, the performances McIlroy and the former Bash Brothers, not forgetting the resurgence of Jordan Spieth only bodes well for what could be a fascinating Masters.
Johnson produced an imperious ball-striking performance by Red Sea and his Tiger Woods-like consistency has yielded four wins, three seconds and a third-place finishes in the last seven months.
"It was a really good week," said the world number one, who was ranked close to last in the field for strokes gained putting for the third time in four days, yet still had enough tee to green horsepower to claim his 26th career win in just his second start since donning the green jacket last November.
"I felt like I played really solid every day. Gave myself a lot of chances. Didn't putt quite as well as I'd like to, but obviously well enough to get a victory today.”
With Johnson struggling on the greens, Finau drew level with five holes to go but then made back to back bogeys at the 16th and 17th to shoot 67 and finish tied for second with Rose, who returned to form with a bogey-free 65.
Ardglass' Cormac Sharvin took full advantage of a sponsor's invitation, carding a two-under 68 on pay day to tie for 21st on seven-under, banking €31,700, his biggest cheque since winning €85,655 in the Irish Open at Lahinch two years ago.
"It's a solid start to 2021," Sharvin said. "It was a bit of a weird week. I caught a bit of a stomach bug on Wednesday and didn't even know if I was going to play on Thursday.
"I was really struggling and pretty close to pulling out during the round but managed to grind out a level par in tough conditions. Felt a bit better on Friday, still not great but felt a good bit better on the weekend."
Shane Lowry made just one birdie in a one-over 71, falling back to tied 29th on five-under after a below-average week on and around the greens while Graeme McDowell made five birdies in a two-under 68 to share 66th on one-over.
Putting has been a puzzle for Lowry, McDowell and McIlroy so far this season. But the Holywood star rediscovered some form at TPC Scottsdale last night, using a line on his ball for the first time since 2014 to roll in 95-feet of putts.
He went into the final round 12 strokes behind co-leaders Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth on six-under but after driving into water at the 11th (his second) for the first of two bogeys, he went on to make nine birdies in a brilliant 64.
“I'll use the green book a bit, and I did that for three days and didn't really work, so I just sort of went with my eyes and my gut today and it helped,” McIlroy said of the line. “I always seem to go back to it when I'm struggling to start it on my line or trust it. So I'll practice with it a bit next week and see if it travels back to Riviera.”
As for the tournament, there would be no fairytale win for Spieth, who shot a 10-under 61 on Saturday to share the 54-hole lead with Schauffele and give himself a chance of his first win since the 2017 Open Championship.
But he closed with a one-over 72 to tied for third with Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz (64) and US Ryder Cup skipper Steve Stricker (67) on 17-under.
That was just two shots behind Koepka, who holed a 30-yard pitch for an eagle two at the 17th to card a six-under 65 for a one-shot win over Korea’s K.H. Lee (68) and Schauffele (71) on 19-under par.
