CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Rory McIlroy is getting a little bored with “back-door” top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour.
He wants more.
McIlroy, who turned 25 on Sunday, tied for eighth at the Wells Fargo Championship on Sunday for his fifth top-10 finish this year on the PGA Tour, something the 11th-ranked player met with a shrug of the shoulders and a mild roll of the eyes.
“I’m in the top 10 every week and it is fine, it’s whatever. But it’s not wins,” McIlroy said after shooting a 2-under 70 to finish six shots behind winner J.B. Holmes
“It’s another solid week. They’re top 10s, but they’re top 10s without getting in contention either,” McIlory said. “I don’t want to back door and top 10 it every week. It’s nice to pick up a nice paycheck but it doesn’t really get the adrenaline going.”
He’d much rather be in the mix Sunday, something he hopes to accomplish next weekend at The Players Championship.
McIlroy has yet to win on the PGA Tour in seven events this season.
McIlroy believes his game is in solid shape, but he just needs to put four consistent rounds together instead of just three.
“It’s not really what I want but It’s going in the right direction,” McIlroy said. “I’m improving a little bit each week. Hopefully one of these weeks it will all come together.”
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ROCK AND ROLL: To compete on the PGA Tour sometimes you have to be a little lucky.
Wells Fargo winner J.B. Holmes caught a huge break on the seventh hole when his approach shot at the 518-yard, par 5 hit the top of the rock wall and bounced more than 30 feet in the air before settling on the green.
Holmes joyfully thrust his arms in the air realizing he had averted danger.
However, he wasn’t able to take advantage of the break, finishing with a par after a three-putt.
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BOHN’S BIG MISTAKE: Jason Bohn’s chances of winning Sunday fell apart when he got a bad time on the 16th hole and let it get inside of his head.
Bohn closed with double bogeys on the final two holes for a 70 to finish fourth at 11 under, three strokes back.
“I didn’t control my emotions well,” he said.
Bohn said he was warned on No. 16 before his second shot by tournament officials that he would be penalized if he had another bad time.
“On 17, I didn’t feel that comfortable with the wind starting to gust a little bit and it was a situation normally I would have backed off,” Bohn said. “But I went ahead and hit it anyway.”
His shot ended up in the water.
Bohn started the round three back but had an impressive stretch of three holes to start the back nine to pull in contention.
On the par-5 10th hole, Bohn bounced a wedge from the middle of the fairway into the cup for an eagle. He followed that by draining a 15-foot putt on the 11th and then chipped in from the primary rough from 37 feet for a birdie on the 12th hole.
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MICKELSON’S MISERY: Golf can be a funny game.
One day after a blistering 29 on the front nine that included an eagle and five birdies, Phil Mickelson couldn’t manage a single birdie there on Sunday. Mickelson went out in 37 with eight pars and one bogey.
His only birdie of the day came on No. 13 and he shot 76 to tie for 11th at 7 under.
“I had two great rounds and two pathetic rounds,” Mickelson said.
Mickelson said he struggled on the greens, but wouldn’t change a thing to the course when it hosts the 2017 PGA Championship. Mickelson said the changes to the course made since last year “were beautifully done.”
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SUPPORT FOR PHIL: Phil Mickelson has tons of fans around the world, including Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera. Rivera came out Sunday to take in the event and root on Mickelson.
“I’m from California. And, when I was with the Chargers he used to come out and see us every now and again,” said Rivera, a former defensive coordinator in San Diego. “He’s been great.”
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COSTLY PUTT: Martin Flores earned his first career top-three finish, but it could have been even better.
Flores missed a 5-foot putt on the 18th hole to fall into third place at 12 under, two strokes behind winner J.B. Holmes. Had Flores made the putt he would have tied for second, so the miss wound up costing him $138,000.
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DIVOTS: Last year’s champion Derek Ernst entered Sunday at 5 under but wasn’t able to defend his title after shooting a 74. … Angel Cabrera was the second-round leader at 9 under but closed the tournament with a pair of 75s to fall out of contention in his search for his first non-major win on the PGA Tour.
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