Full stories on the major players of Sunday's Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship final round will be on the way, but we wanted to use this space just to highlight a couple of guys – Rafa Cabrera-Bello and George Coetzee, who tied for fourth – who were there throughout the weekend, but wound up coming up just a tick short of Mickleson, McIlroy and champion Pablo Larrazabal.
Cabrera-Bello, of Spain, led after two rounds at 9-under 135. He improved on that in the final two rounds, finishing with a 12-under 276 to finish fourth, but didn't improve enough to keep up with the pace-setters. His 1-over 73 third round proved his undoing. Here is some of what he had to say on Sunday:
On the last three holes on Sunday:
"I know I needed a very, very strong finish. That birdie on 15 after a pretty good iron shot, put me still going for it but from far behind. Sixteen, I was a bit disappointed I didn't get – I got a really, really bad lie from the rough, and couldn't get it to the green but still managed to make a good up-and-down for par and 17, it was a great birdie, long putt. It's just disappointing not being able to get birdie at the 18th after a good tee shot."
On the 18th hole:
"It's a bit tricky because it's playing crosswind off the tree, and for me, driver would have been a little too much, and I had to hit 3-wood but just it beautifully right down the middle and gave myself a good chance. Just didn't hit that perfect second shot. I hit a decent one, just came a little bit over the top with it and didn't cut, which is what I was looking for, just laid down the left-hand side and let the wind take it. Then I got a pretty bad lie at the rough and tried to make a guess of how it was going to come out. I guessed wrong, and too long of a putt, still tried to make it but it was a very, very tough gamble."
On his play and start to the year in general:
"I mean, overall, pretty happy. It's been a great week, great start of the year. My game is in really good shape looking forward to the next few weeks. I take any year I start like this, especially playing the way I felt I played – and I don't know, I just hopefully next week I can be one or two shots (better)."
Coetzee charged ahead on Sunday with a 6-under final round, picking up six birdies by 13 before stalling out and parring the rest of the course.
On finishing 6-under On Sunday:
"At the beginning of the day, I would have taken it definitely. I didn't really play that well, but I think I had 22 putts again today. I remember reading that Mickelson shot 63 with 22 putts after 12, and I think I had nine or 10 through 10 holes."
On the round overall:
"Quite happy, the way I played this week, surprising to see my name up there. I just putted really well and luckily that's one of the parts that mattered most."
On the start to his year:
"Yeah, we are all busy trying to make a living, so it's always nice to get off to a good start."
