McIlroy pleased with Texas tune-up as stellar Sunday sets him off to Augusta on high
LOCKED IN: Rory McIlroy fired a closing 64 in Texas. Pic: Jane Barlow/PA Wire.
Rory McIlroy toasted a solid week's work as a final-hole bogey couldn't take the gloss off a stellar Sunday 64 at the Texas Children's Houston Open set him off towards Augusta on a high.
Having opted to play in the Texas event for the first time in over a decade and use it as a tune-up for the year's first Major, starting April 10 in Georgia, McIlroy continued a very welcome trend in his final round. He closed with his lowest score of the week having improved with each round, going 70-66-65-64 at Memorial Park outside Houston.
His Sunday surge threatened to catapult him into contention, particularly early in the afternoon when he reeled off five birdies and an eagle in the space of 10 holes. In the end, his closing 64 was good for a share of fifth place as Australian Min Woo Lee clung on on for a dramatic one-shot win.
With Shane Lowry's former caddie Bo Martin on the bag, Lee wobbled when finding the water late in his round to bring Scottie Scheffler and Gary Woodland into contention. However he steadied himself impressively and a brilliant lag putt on the 18th assured him of an emotional breakthrough win.
McIlroy had already made his way through the clubhouse by the time things were decided. Despite starting and finishing Sunday with bogeys, the positives far outweighed any minor negatives and a tilt at a first green jacket is now firmly on the horizon.
"I saw some putts go in, I felt like as I went on, during the week I sort of got better and better — as the scores suggest," McIlroy said afterwards. "Look, it was a good week. I still feel like I've got some stuff to work on but overall, a solid week and nice to have another week to sort of get ready and fine tune my game going into Augusta."
McIlroy claimed his second Players title at Sawgrass earlier this month. After last year's heartbreakingly close call at the US Open, the 2025 Major season offers the chance for healing and a first of golf's biggest prizes since 2014.
"I think just working on a few things," said McIlroy, when asked what the plan is for the down week before he makes his way to Georgia. "The right elbow has been bothering me a little bit so maybe just get some treatment on that and make sure that's okay going into Augusta. I've got my coach Michael Bannon coming in tomorrow, we'll do some work and make sure everything is in good shape for a week's time."
