• WGC-Cadillac Championship, Round Four

Rose holds off major McIlroy surge to triumph in Florida

Justin Rose was a long-time leader in the final round © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Tiger retains Masters hope after injury boost
  
• Out of Bounds: Woods facing a problem with no solution
  
• News: Woods withdrawal sparks Masters fears
  
• Profile: Keegan Bradley | Luke Donald | Graeme McDowell | Rory McIlroy | Justin Rose | Lee Westwood | Tiger Woods

Leaderboard

Rory McIlroy showed the exhilarating talents that swept him to the world No. 1 spot with an incredibly timed surge during the final round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship, but he eventually fell two strokes short of the triumphant Justin Rose on a day when Tiger Woods withdrew due to injury - sparking fears over his fitness four weeks out from the Masters.

McIlroy began the day eight shots off the overnight leader, but by the time he arrived at the 13th hole that deficit had been cut to just one. Having threatened a 59 at one stage on Saturday the 22-year-old was displaying similar form once again on the Blue Monster, while most of those ahead of him - other than the unflappable Rose - were showing signs of cracking.

McIlroy was terrific from tee to green, birdying holes one, seven and eight - the latter of which was set up by a sensational approach. His tally at the turn could have been better than three-under, but he suddenly moved onto Rose's shoulder when he birdied 10 and eagled 12 with a sublime bunker shot.

That moved him to within one of the leaders, but as McIlroy attempted to maintain his aggressive approach he drove into the rough at 14, leading to a bogey. A birdie at 16 kept him alive, but an eventual five-under 67 for an overall score of 14-under was not enough to overthrow Rose.

"Yesterday could have been very special and today, moving to within one of the lead through 12, proved pretty frustrating to come away on 14-under," McIlroy told Sky Sports.

England's Rose led for the majority of a thrilling final day, producing a steady round as main rivals Bubba Watson - the overnight leader - and Keegan Bradley yo-yoed from the sublime to the ridiculous. All three men led at different stages, but it was Rose who largely held his score while the other two manoeuvred around him.

The key to the Brit's challenge came early when he birdied one and four to move to the top of the leaderboard. He then missed makeable putts at six and eight, but a birdie at 10 once again nudged him ahead.

Rose's driving left plenty to be desired but, typically, his approach play was superb and he made a decisive move for glory at 14, finding birdie for a two-stroke cushion. In the end, a two-under 70 for a 16-under winning score proved enough for Rose to claim his fourth PGA Tour title.

Bradley, the 2011 US PGA champion, had looked the most likely to steal Rose's thunder when he eagled the first and then birdied five to level with the Brit. The American was actually two clear at the seventh after a gloriously judged birdie putt, but he found deep rough at eight and then missed an easy one to bogey ten, after which he never truly recovered - finishing on 11-under.

Watson saw his three-shot overnight lead eroded in the first four holes as he found himself consistently attracted to water on the front nine. The American was the only man in the top ten to fire over par on the final day, yet he had plenty of chances to win it in a final-round 74, before missing a putt to force a play-off on the final hole that saw him complete in second place on 15-under.

"I really enjoyed playing with Bubba for three days, he's the perfect gentleman and we had a good time complimenting each other's good shots," Rose told Sky Sports. "The enthusiasm he generates with the crowd is fun to be a part of.

Tiger Woods has confirmed he damaged his left Achilles © Getty Images

Enlarge

"Going out one group in front of the leaders is never a bad position to be in, but I'd like to congratulate Bubba for his tournament. He hit two shots on 18 that had me sweating in the clubhouse - it was a wonderful effort he made."

Woods had started the day in a position to attack, but he instead faded badly and then withdrew due to injury on a frustrating afternoon for the former world No. 1. Consecutive bogeys at six and seven drew the famous Woods grimace, and more agony was to come when he found water at 10.

The left Achilles was the problem, forcing a change of shoes to a more padded sole ahead of 11, but he still found sand - eventually rescuing par. At that point the American decided not to incur any more damage, opting to take the buggy back to the clubhouse.

Luke Donald had threatened to follow McIlroy's lead at one stage when he moved to within three of the lead, but a bogey at 16 derailed his challenge. A three-under 69 for an overall 12-under was enough for a top-ten finish for the former world No. 1.

Further down the leaderboard Robert Rock threatened to make a late surge when he followed an eagle at the first with three additional birdies through seven. However, a double-bogey at the eighth effectively ended his run and may cost him a place in the world's top 50.

Lee Westwood was disappointingly short of a challenge in Florida, paying the price for a horrendous opening round of 76, and he failed to display any real form ahead of the Masters with a closing 72 for a five-under final tally. Westwood still finished comfortably ahead of world No. 12 Phil Mickelson, whose fairly unspectacular week finished with a 71 for an overall score of three-under.

Elsewhere, Sergio Garcia's utterly erratic campaign continued as he shot an octuple-bogey 12 at the third to spoil what was an otherwise sparkling 18 holes of golf. Having eagled the first Garcia hit four shots into the water at the par-four third before recovering his composure for five birdies in a four-over round of 76 that left him on five-over.

Paul Casey hit a hole-in-one at the par-three 15th en route to a final round 73. Casey finished on level-par, three strokes behind Darren Clarke.

And Ian Poulter's miserable week climaxed with his best round of the tournament, a three-under 69 improving his disappointing score to five-over. Poulter was not the lowest-finishing Brit though, that rather unwanted honour going to Simon Dyson on 11-over.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.