Monday 19 October 2015 07:56, UK
Rory McIlroy again fell far short of his best as he rounded off a frustrating week at the Frys.com Open with a three-under 69 in California.
The world No 3 offset five birdies with two bogeys to finish at nine under for the tournament and just inside the top 25, but he would have been contending for the lead had he not endured an erratic performance on the greens over the first three days.
McIlroy looked a little more solid in his all-round game on the final day after he recovered well from an uncertain start, missing the green with a routine 112-yard wedge from the middle of the fairway at the fourth and running up a bogey.
He responded with a sublime pitch to four feet to set up his first birdie of the day at the next, and he knocked a delightful wedge to two feet at the sixth for another gain.
McIlroy got a rare putt to drop from outside 20 feet at the short 11th, but he then splayed his drive out of bounds at the next and did well to scramble a bogey with his second ball.
A towering 200-yard iron to three feet at the 15th was converted for another birdie, and he two-putted from 55 feet at the long 16th to pick up another shot before parring in.
McIlroy will now have a week off before returning to European Tour action in Turkey, and he is likely to use the break to address his putting problems having been 79th in the field in the strokes gained - putting statistics.
