Win-Win: Rory Wins; Karma Keeps Him From Dull Title Bout

Okay, so he did have to watch the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight on a 19-inch screen with some scribblers and those who don’t dress like them.

Michael Collins with this in the “What Tiger Would Never Do” files—but Rory McIlroy’s match play win has to rank as one of his most impressive given the relentless nature of his opponents over five days. And sitting next to Collins and Roberts for 12 rounds the night before the final day.

Mark Aumann with the round-up of Rory-watches-in-the-media center tweets.

On a day that never got warmer than 56 degrees in San Francisco according to the PGA Tour notes, McIlroy held off Gary Woodland for his 10th PGA Tour win as his 26th birthday approaches. (He joins elite company in the 10 wins or more before 26 category, Tweeted Justin Ray). McIlroy's day started by finishing a food-poisoning-plagued Paul Casey, then beating the always difficult Jim Furyk before dispatching of Woodland.

And while we might kid about skipping out on the fight, McIlroy says he learned a valuable lesson about the experience. From Bob Harig's ESPN.com report:

There had to be some payback for "lowering" himself in such a manner, and McIlroy took whatever good will that brought him and posted an impressive WGC-Cadillac Match Play victory.

"I am a big believer in karma," McIlroy said after dispatching Gary Woodland 4 and 2 in the finals. "Obviously I think I give myself a much better chance of watching it in here than trying to make it to Vegas, that's for sure."

McIlroy might not quite buy the idea that hanging out with a few media types might have rubbed off in a good way.

If you missed the match and need the blow-by-blow, here's Golfweek.com's staff blog.

Here is Ron Kroichick's San Francisco Chronicle game story.

And at Golfweek.com Jim McCabe says McIlroy surprised many after the round by saying he is playing the next four weeks, then likely off for two weeks prior to Chambers Bay and the U.S. Open.

The highlights:

More important, the GeoffShackelford.com league, 245 strong has, a winner and a three-way tie for second.

spiegs.m finished 1st with 430 points. Nice job getting the McIlroy-Furyk side of the bracket, and like everyone else, struggling with the right side.

Oh so close were front9back9, samuelbush007 and billnet52 with 400 points each. I finished 43rd with 180 points, and like most, was derailed by the right side of the bracket.

For your struggles and brilliant handicapping, I have four books to give away. Please email me at the "contact" address atop the site. spiegs.m gets the first pick between Lines of Charm, The Art of Golf Design, Grounds For Golf and Masters Of The Links. Hope you winners like architecture books!

When I've regrouped there will be a post on the PGA Tour's new effort to make fantasy work, launching this week at The Players. Hopefully we'll be able to do a league there and I can come up with some more lucrative prizes.