Sullivan still smiling despite one-shot defeat to McIlroy

Joy Chakravarty 22:30 22/11/2015
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  • Proud performance: Andy Sullivan was a model of consistency.

    Andy Sullivan may have been beaten by the brilliance of Rory McIlroy, but even the narrow one-shot loss wasn’t going to take that smile away from the Englishman’s face.

    Sullivan started the final day one shot ahead of McIlroy and played well enough on the front nine to increase the gap to three shots at one stage, but failed to sustain his momentum as the world No3 fought back on the closing stretch.

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    It would have been a fourth win of the season for the 28-year-old Sullivan, but he could make only one birdie on the back nine, which wasn’t enough to deny McIlroy.

    Sullivan, who finished eighth in the Race to Dubai, climbing from 21st at the start of the week, is also expected to move into the top 50 of the world rankings when they are released Monday. If he manages to stay inside the 50 by the end of the year, it would gain him a first entry into the Masters.

    And the man who won twice in South Africa at the start of the season and the Portugal Masters last month, said: “Just to come up head-to-head with someone of Rory’s quality, it was absolutely awesome and something that will stick with me for a long time going forward.

    “For me it doesn’t really get any better than this maybe. Maybe one shot better and maybe take him to a playoff.

    “I gave it everything on that front nine, I just couldn’t quite get the putts to drop on the back nine. I’ve got so much to take from this week, both the way I’ve played and how I’ve handled it.

    “For me, it’s about doing it on a more consistent basis and getting up there and trying to get in the last group with Rory more often.”

    Sullivan said he fully expected McIlroy to hole the long putt for bogey on the 17th, especially after giving him such a good read with his own putt.

    “I thought, I’m back in it when he hit that tee shot on the 17th. I thought I’ve got a chance again,” said Sullivan.

    “But I gave him a great teach on my putt. He got a real good read. I’ve hit it and left it that far behind, I turned to my caddie and said: ‘I expect him to hole this’. That’s just the quality he is and the world-class performer he is.

    “Even on the 18th, if I holed the putt, I thought it could go a bit further but that’s the way it goes.”

    Sullivan has one more event before he wraps up his clubs for Christmas – the NedBank Challenge in two weeks in South Africa.

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