MARANA (Arizona): British teenager Rory McIlroy underlined his credentials as one of the best players in the world by easing into the quarter-finals of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Holywood, Northern Ireland, competing in his first tournament as a professional on US soil, outclassed South African Tim Clark 4&3 in the third round at Dove Mountain's Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.
McIlroy birdied four of the first eight holes to take charge against the player who stunned world number one and three-times champion Tiger Woods in the previous round.
"It's fantastic," the long-hitting Northern Irishman told reporters after booking his place in the last eight against 2006 champion Geoff Ogilvy of Australia.
"Tim didn't play his best golf today. Understandably he was probably a little flat after all that happened yesterday. I came out and got off to quite a fast start, got an early lead and I was able to hang on and get the win."
McIlroy, who dominated a world-class field to win his maiden European Tour title at this month's Dubai Desert Classic, was in two minds as to whether he would have preferred to have taken on Woods in the third round.
"Yes and no," he said. "I probably would have found it very difficult to play him with him being a hero of mine for the past 10 years.
OWN GAME
"So it would have been difficult but you've got to just go out there and try and play your own game. You can't control what the other guy does, so yeah.
"It's match play, it's very fickle and you never know what can happen," McIlroy added, referring to Clark's surprise 4&2 win against Woods on Thursday.
"Tim caused a bit of an upset yesterday and I was lucky enough to play well enough today to win."
McIlroy has swiftly risen to 17th in the world rankings since turning professional in 2007, well ahead of his initial target.
"I don't want to say I always expected to get to this point but I always hoped that I would," he said. "But I am surprised how quickly I've done it.
"In the world rankings, one win can jump you up quite a few spots. I've just got to keep going with it, keep playing and try to get a few more wins. If you can do that, then the rankings and everything else will take care of itself."
Soruce:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/McIlroy-stays-on-winning-track-in-Arizona-desert/articleshow/4203629.cms
The 19-year-old from Holywood, Northern Ireland, competing in his first tournament as a professional on US soil, outclassed South African Tim Clark 4&3 in the third round at Dove Mountain's Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.
McIlroy birdied four of the first eight holes to take charge against the player who stunned world number one and three-times champion Tiger Woods in the previous round.
"It's fantastic," the long-hitting Northern Irishman told reporters after booking his place in the last eight against 2006 champion Geoff Ogilvy of Australia.
"Tim didn't play his best golf today. Understandably he was probably a little flat after all that happened yesterday. I came out and got off to quite a fast start, got an early lead and I was able to hang on and get the win."
McIlroy, who dominated a world-class field to win his maiden European Tour title at this month's Dubai Desert Classic, was in two minds as to whether he would have preferred to have taken on Woods in the third round.
"Yes and no," he said. "I probably would have found it very difficult to play him with him being a hero of mine for the past 10 years.
OWN GAME
"So it would have been difficult but you've got to just go out there and try and play your own game. You can't control what the other guy does, so yeah.
"It's match play, it's very fickle and you never know what can happen," McIlroy added, referring to Clark's surprise 4&2 win against Woods on Thursday.
"Tim caused a bit of an upset yesterday and I was lucky enough to play well enough today to win."
McIlroy has swiftly risen to 17th in the world rankings since turning professional in 2007, well ahead of his initial target.
"I don't want to say I always expected to get to this point but I always hoped that I would," he said. "But I am surprised how quickly I've done it.
"In the world rankings, one win can jump you up quite a few spots. I've just got to keep going with it, keep playing and try to get a few more wins. If you can do that, then the rankings and everything else will take care of itself."
Soruce:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/McIlroy-stays-on-winning-track-in-Arizona-desert/articleshow/4203629.cms
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