Robert Lee was left absolutely amazed by the shot Rory McIlroy produced on the fourth hole in his final round at the Dubai Invitational on Sunday.
With Rory McIlroy in the final group alongside Tommy Fleetwood at Dubai Creek Resort, there appeared to be a good chance of a mouthwatering finish.
McIlroy began the day one shot behind his Ryder Cup teammate. And the 34-year-old did birdie the short par 4 third. But he found himself in trouble on the par 5 fourth.
Robert Lee amazed by bunker shot from Rory McIlroy
The four-time major champion found the bunker off the tee. And he was in the sand again after his second shot. In fact, he needed some magic, with the ball up against the lip of the bunker, around 40 yards away from the hole.
McIlroy however, was up to the task, knocking the ball to within nine feet of the pin. And speaking on Sky Sports (broadcast on 14/1; 9:01), Robert Lee suggested that it was a moment of brilliance from McIlroy.
“That is ridiculous from there, that is a ridiculous shot. That is so good. It’s not just a normal bunker shot. He had to swing that so hard to send it that far. Amazing,” he said.
Northern Irishman unable to capitalise
Unfortunately, McIlroy was not able to make his birdie putt. And although he did birdie the par three fifth – where Fleetwood also made a two – he struggled to get anything going over the next few holes as Fleetwood continued to lead the way.
He made a big mistake, finding the water with his four iron off the sixth tee. And he was a little wayward with the driver on the long seventh, leaving him unable to reach the green in two. He did do brilliantly from there to get up and down to save his par.
But the pair were unable to put some real distance between themselves and the chasing pack in the early stages of the final round.
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