AUSTIN, Texas – PLAYERS champion Rory McIlroy could only shake his head late in his highly anticipated Round of 16 showdown with Tiger Woods at the World Golf Championships–Dell Technologies Match Play. As his third shot on the par-5 16th at Austin Country Club came out of a brutal lie with some pace… those in the galleries were diving out of the balls way like it was dusted with the plague. He was shaking his head because just one hole earlier the huge galleries around the 15th hole got in the way of a wayward Tiger Woods drive that was likely heading for water. It was like some of the locals wanted the badge of honor (or perhaps the likely signed glove) that comes with being thwacked by a wayward Woods shot. It was a brutal experience of the Woods effect for McIlroy. McIlroy, who had clawed his way back from a 3-down through 11 holes to be just one adrift of his fellow former FedExCup champion, was forced to take an unplayable lie and return to the scene of his shot. He would eventually lose the hole giving Woods the chance to win it all on the 17th green. The 80-time PGA TOUR winner did just that, drilling in a 13-foot par putt to beat McIlroy 2 and 1 in the much-hyped clash. “It was a tough match for both of us,â€� Woods said before heading out to his quarterfinal showdown with Lucas Bjerregaard. “It was big for us inside the ropes, too. It was a fun match for us. I know that we battled pretty hard against one another and we thoroughly enjoyed it. I was fortunate to come out on top.â€� McIlroy knows he can’t blame a pro Tiger gallery for his loss. His ball ended up in the bad lie to begin with from a poorly executed approach on the 16th. McIlroy had smashed a drive 395-yards and had watched Woods play his third before he was away again. With just 173 yards in and a shot up his sleeve, McIlroy came up short and right. From there the calamity happened. And if not that shot, McIlroy will rue his putting, particularly on the front nine. Having never trailed over his three group matches McIlroy failed to make a 7-foot birdie putt on the fifth hole, allowing Woods the early advantage. The Northern Irishman missed a 12-footer on the sixth to lose another hole and an 11-footer on the seventh that could have halved the deficit. On the par-4 9th McIlroy hit it even tighter, but missed from 7-feet, ensuring he turned 2-down. Perhaps sensing his unease on the greens, Woods failed to concede a three-foot par putt on the 10th hole and McIlroy promptly missed it to fall 3-down. “Rory didn’t make any putts today. I knew that it was going to be a ball-striking match,â€� Woods said. “We were both playing well coming into this match, and the year that Rory has had, he doesn’t do anything poorly. I tried to match him shot for shot with ball-striking and hopefully make a couple of putts here and there.â€� McIlroy did mount a comeback with birdie at the 12th and another at the 13th to set up the grandstand finish, but clutch Woods putts on the 15th and 17th ensured his victory.
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