Friday 29 May 2015 23:28, UK
With Rory McIlroy's run of five consecutive events coming to and end, we look back at the highs and lows of his busy spell...
WGC-Cadillac Match Play - Won
In the first event of his packed schedule, McIlroy proved exactly why he is world No 1 by digging deep to claim a hard-fought victory, joining Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in the process as the only players to win 10 PGA tour titles before their 26th birthday.
Needing some late heroics to edge past Billy Horschel in his must-win group game, McIlroy wasted no time in thrashing Hideki Matsuyama to reach the last eight.
With a last-minute dash to Las Vegas to watch the Mayweather v Pacquiao fight out of the question, McIlroy fought back late on against Paul Casey and eventually prevailed at the 22nd hole early Sunday morning.
That win would be the first of three for McIlroy in a busy final day, with a 45-foot eagle at the last sealing semi-final victory over Jim Furyk before completing a remarkable week by beating Gary Woodland 4&2 in the final.
After collecting the trophy, his 2nd WGC title, McIlroy revealed how proud he was with his performance. You couldn't blame him.
Players Championship - T8th
For most, following up a PGA Tour win with a top-ten finish would equal a good fortnight, but McIlroy was left rueing missed opportunities in the big-money event.
While there were few issues from tee-to-green, McIlroy struggled to deliver with the flat-stick all week and numeorus birdie chances were missed.
Still in with a chance heading in to the final round four strokes back, McIlroy's putting again let him down in the final round, with a two-under 70 nowhere near enough to challenge the leaders.
Wells Fargo Championship - Won
A reaction was expected to McIlroy's mediocre display at TPC Sawgrass, with the world No 1 delivering in emphatic style at the venue of his maiden PGA Tour title.
Having announced pre-tournament he was going to play far more attackingly at Quail Hollow, he followed up a steady opening day 70 with a bogey-free 67 to leave himself in contention heading in to the weekend before blowing the field away on "moving Saturday."
A magical 59 looked a genuine possibility when McIlroy rolled in an 11th birdie of the round with two holes of the play, with the Northern Irishman closing a 61 to break his own course record despite only posting par at the final two holes.
With victory all-but assured, a solid final round 69 was enough to see McIlroy cruise to a record-breaking seven-shot win, extending his advantage over Jordan Spieth at the top of the world rankigns
BMW PGA Championship – Missed cut
McIlroy was looking for a repeat of 12 months earlier, where he overturned a seven-shot final round deficit to snatch victory from Thomas Bjorn, but struggled in his first tournament of the season on British soil.
After playing alongside One Direction star Niall Horan during the Wednesday Pro-Am, McIlroy admitted he was struggling from ‘mental fatigue’ after an opening round 71 in front of record crowds at Wentworth.
Things went from bad to worse a day later, with a bogey-filled second round 78 leaving the European Tour’s flagship event without their star attraction for the weekend.
A rare missed cut for McIlroy – just his third in 45 worldwide starts – who felt a weekend off could be just what he needed after a long spell Stateside.
Irish Open - Missed cut
An event he has often struggled in, McIlroy returned to Northern Ireland as tournament host, looking to avoid missing the cut for the third year running.
Having had a few days extra recovery time on home soil, McIlroy was targeting victory on home soil, but saw any hopes come to an abrupt halt with an error-strewn 80 in windy conditions on the opening day.
After blaming a lack of momentum for his highest round since his infamous final round collapse at the 2011 Masters, McIlroy needed to produce something special to clear the projected cut line, but had to sink a 15-foot birdie at the last just to end the day level par.
The sell-out home support were left disappointed not to see their local favourite feature in the final two rounds, with McIlroy now having a much-needed spell on the sidelines before returning to action at next month's US Open.
