Scott snatches Doral thriller

Adam Scott claimed a remarkable one-shot
victory at the WGC-Cadillac Championship as Rory
McIlroy endured a dreadful final day at Doral.
Final leaderboard
WGC-Cadillac Championship
Scott recovered from a horrific start to post a
three-under 69 and pip Bubba Watson to the title,
while overnight leader McIlroy made only one
birdie in a 74 that left him two shots off the pace.
Danny Willett and Phil Mickelson both hauled
themselves into contention to add to the drama,
but it was Scott who emerged victorious despite
making double-bogeys at two of the first five
holes on the feared Blue Monster layout.
Adam Scott staged a remarkable recovery after making
two double-bogeys in three holes
McIlroy struggled for rhythm from the moment he
put his opening drive into one of many bunkers he
visited throughout the day, although he weathered
the storm in the early stages and ground out six
straight pars before making his first bogey for 41
holes at the seventh.
Scott found water at the third and the fifth to slip
six shots behind the Northern Irishman, but
responded with an astonishing run of six birdies in
nine holes, including three in a row to start the
back nine.
Scott made an adventurous par at 18 to snatch a one-shot
win
The Australian, winner of last week's Honda
Classic, suffered a nervy moment when he
shanked his bunker escape at the 16th, but
recovered to save his par and then shaved the
cup with a birdie attempt at the next.
With Bubba Watson safely in the clubhouse on 11
under having closed with an impressive 68, Scott
had a one-stroke lead on the 18th but blocked his
drive too far right and left himself behind a palm
tree with no clear view of the green.
Rory McIlroy led by four on the front nine, but his all-round
game failed to fire as he closed with a 74
Scott then enjoyed a stunning slice of good
fortune when his bold second appeared to be
heading for the water on the left, but his ball took
a kind, soft bounce and held up in the rough just a
few feet short of the hazard.
The former Masters champion took advantage of
his lucky break as he pitched to seven feet, and
his putt for back-to-back victories - and his
second World Golf Championship title - found the
centre of the cup.
Bubba Watson put pressure on Scott with a birdie at 17 as
he closed with a 68
Watson birdied the first and roared into contention
when he drained a monster 60-foot putt for an
amazing eagle at the eighth, where McIlroy found
the water with his second before scrambling a
valiant par-five.
Watson picked up another shot at 12 only to give
it back after an errant drive at 14, and the left-
hander put pressure on Scott with a well-crafted
birdie at the 17th before getting up and down for
par at the last.
Danny Willett's valiant challenge ended when he drove into
water at the 18th
McIlroy's frequent visits to the sand cost him
another shot at the ninth, and another shot went at
13 before he gave himself an outside shot at the
title with a nice up-and-down from sand for his
lone birdie of the day at 16.
But two closing pars left him tied for third with
Willett, who birdied seven and nine to turn in 33
and got to four under for the round with his fifth
birdie of the day at the 16th.
However, the Yorkshireman pulled his drive at 18
into the water and eventually did well to limit the
damage to a bogey-five as he closed on 10 under.