Rory on course for first pro win
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Rory McIlroy remains on target for a remarkable first European Tour victory
in only his third event as a professional in the Madrid Open.
McIlroy joined the paid ranks only after playing in Britain and Ireland's
narrow Walker Cup defeat in September - but finished 42nd on his European
Tour debut in the British Masters at The Belfry.
The 18-year-old then turned in a stunning display to finish third in the
Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews last Sunday - a performance which
all but secured his card for next season.
A few eyebrows might still have been raised when the teenager from Holywood,
Northern Ireland, spoke about targeting a maiden tournament victory this
week - but that was a distinct possibility after a third-round 66 at Club de
Campo.
That set the clubhouse target at nine under par, just three behind
Argentina's Daniel Vancsik - who had three holes to play.
"I was six or seven behind going into the final round last week and almost
caught up, so if I can get off to another good start and put some pressure
on, you never know," said McIlroy, who birdied his first three holes today
and picked up five more - with just two bogeys.
"I know Sergio Garcia won (the Irish Open) on his fourth start as a
professional, and this is only my third; if I can shoot another 66 tomorrow
you never know what could happen.
"Everyone was saying I was one of the pre-tournament favourites here, which
is pretty tough to live up to, but that was just because of how well I had
played last week. Luckily I have carried that form with me."
Vancsik, winner of the Madeira Island Open in March, looked to be cruising
to victory when he fired seven birdies in his first 13 holes to open up a
five-shot lead on 15 under par.
But the 30-year-old then dumped his tee shot on the par-three 14th into the
water guarding the green for a double bogey, and also bogeyed the next to
drop back to 12 under.
That was just one ahead of Denmark's Mads Vibe-Hastrup, McIlroy sharing
third place with France's Jean Van de Velde - who had recovered from
dropping three shots in his first two holes with four birdies on the back
nine.
Meanwhile, Argentina's Angel Cabrera reached the final of the HSBC World
Match Play Championship at Wentworth with another sparkling display today.
Ten under par in beating Retief Goosen and again when he put out defending
champion Paul Casey, the US Open champion was an approximate 12 under in
seeing off American Hunter Mahan two and one.
He then had to wait to discover his opponent in the battle for the £1million
first prize, but favourite was record six-time winner Ernie Els.
Behind by one on four separate occasions during their morning round, the
South African turned that into a two-hole lead over Swede Henrik Stenson
with four to play.
Els is certain to go top of the European Order of Merit if he completes a
victory over Stenson, even though he has not won a tournament all year.
"Whenever I play the Match Play, with what I've done in the past, I've got a
good vibe," he had said after his easy wins over Colin Montgomerie and
Andres Romero.
"But I'd like to think that if I get the first one it can lead into quite a
few other ones."
