McIlroy takes positives from play-off defeat
Rory McIlroy insisted he was not too downhearted after narrowly missing out on his first European Tour win following a play-off defeat to Lin Wen-tang at the UBS Hong Kong Open today.
The teenager from the North shot a final-round five-under-par 65 to enter a three-way play-off with Lin and Italian Francesco Molinari at the Hong Kong Golf Club.
Molinari could only par the first play-off hole on the par-four 18th while Lin and McIlroy both birdied meaning the two would face off again.
McIlroy, 19, sent his tee shot into a crowd of spectators to the left of the fairway but recovered by hitting his approach shot onto the edge of the green.
Lin, meanwhile, hit the fairway from the tee before superbly hitting his second shot to within a foot of the pin and when McIlroy failed to putt for a birdie, the 34-year-old applied the easy finish to become the first Asian player in a decade to win the tournament.
“It was a great week,” said McIlroy. “I’ll take all the positives.
“As long as I can keep putting myself in these positions and feeling the nerves and the adrenaline, I’ll know I’m doing things right.
“It’s been a great week and I can’t be too disappointed. That’s the way it goes.”
The result means McIlroy improves his Race to Dubai standing having been tied for fifth after the season-opening HSBC Champions and he remains confident that a maiden victory on the European Tour is on the horizon.
“It puts me in a great position going into the new year and I have two events left in South Africa,” added McIlroy.
“If I don’t win there, I’ll hopefully win sometime next year.”
For Lin, the victory earns the 34-year-old a two-year exemption on the European Tour.
However, Lin admitted he is unlikely to change his schedule due to the win, insisting he is happy to continue on the Asian Tour.
“I will stay longer on the Asian Tour because I want to play better on it,” he said.
“Also there are a lot of supporters, sponsors, friends in Asia.”
There was heartache for Wilson once again, however, as the 28-year-old conspired to hit three successive bogeys from the 15th to drop to 12 under for the tournament and leave him still searching for a maiden European Tour victory.
The Englishman tied for sixth alongside German veteran Bernhard Langer, Malaysian Iain Steel, David Gleeson of Australia and South African Richard Sterne.
Graeme McDowell and Oliver Fisher were amongst a group of four a further stroke behind while Colin Montgomerie’s challenge faded as the round wore on today and the Scot finished tied 15th at 10 under.
