It’s never too early in the golf season for a great David-Goliath matchup.
That’s exactly what they got Sunday at the South African Open — long time journeyman Graeme Storm vs. the world’s No. 2 — Rory McIlroy.
Storm went into the final round at the Glendower Golf Club with a three-shot lead over McIlroy but somehow, you knew that wouldn’t be enough and it wasn’t.
McIlroy overtook Storm with some nice shotmaking and Storm failing to make birdies on some key par five holes. McIlroy stepped on the 17th tee, he was 19-under par and a shot clear of Storm and the third member of the threesome, Jordan Smith. But it was there that McIlroy made his first real mistake of the day. He left his tee shot on the par three hanging right and it semi-plugged into the back wall of the bunker, leaving McIlroy a near-impossible shot in hopes of saving par. McIlroy’s second didn’t get out of the bunker and he was forced to hit his third close to save bogey, and he did.
A bogey by Smith left McIlroy and Storm tied at 18-under going to 18, a difficult birdie hole at best. Two pars and they finished tied, McIlroy shooting 68, Storm 71. Smith finished solo third at 17-under.
McIlroy struggled with the 18th all week. He played the hole two-over par in four tries while Storm was one-under on the hole that would decide the playoff.
After two trips and pars by both, McIlroy found the first-cut rough the third-go-round and would miss the green left with his approach. Storm was safely on and watched as McIlroy ran hit pitch 10 feet by. Storm would two-putt then watched McIlroy miss his par putt.
It was Storm’s first victory in 10 years and he needed it desperately.
“I am speechless,” he said afterward. “It’s been incredible and I can’t quite believe it. This is a dream come true.”
McIlroy took the loss in stride. “I wish I could have done a little more but it’s not a bad way to start the season and gives me something to build on in the weeks ahead.”
