Rory McIlroy stays positive after another final-round collapse costs him victory in Kuala Lumpur

McIlroy came out on the final day four shots ahead, and extended his overnight lead with a birdie on 10, only to blow his chances by shooting four over par in the final round.

The 21-year-old Northern Irishman, who let a four-shot lead slip in the final round of the Masters last weekend, had been three shots ahead of the rest with four holes of his third round to play in Malaysia, but by the 12th hole of his final round he trailed leaders Gregory Bourdy of France and Italian teenager Matteo Manassero by three.

A double-bogey at the par-four 12th set him back to one under for the round up to that point, with a similar third-round setback at the 15th allowing Manassero and Sweden's Alexander Noren to finish in the lead heading into the final round.

"At this moment I'm pretty disappointed but it was a good week," he said."I'm proud of the way I have picked up myself from last week," a philosophical McIlroy told reporters.

"To shoot the scores I did considering the travel and stuff, it was a pretty good effort. Obviously the result was disappointing but everything else was positive."

McIlroy, who came into the tournament after a thirty-hour journey from Augusta, praised the performance of Manassero.

"Matteo is fantastic. He is a great talent - to get two wins on the European Tour before your 18th birthday is pretty special," said McIlroy, who won his first tour event aged 19.

"He is great and we've known he is a great player. He deserves it."

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McIlroy two ahead in Kuala Lumpur

Rory McIlroy built a two-shot advantage at 12 under after an incomplete third round of the rain-hit Malaysian Open.

Friday's rain left 77 players needing to finish round two on Saturday.

McIlroy had eight pars and birdied the ninth before bad light ended play, while world number one Martin Kaymer is in a share of fifth, three shots back.

Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and Masters winner Charl Schwartzel made the cut by one after second rounds of 75 and 71 respectively.

Schwartzel picked up two shots in his 11 third round holes to move up to two under but Oosthuizen double bogeyed the 11th, his second, and lies joint last.

McIlroy had begun to look frustrated by his failure to improve his score, missing a birdie putt from inside four feet on the seventh that was aimed two inches outside of the hole and stayed there.

But he rattled in a par putt from five feet at the eighth after his tree shot had trickled off the green and then rolled in a seven-footer for a birdie on the final green.

"I felt I probably should have been a couple better," the 21-year-old Northern Irishman said.

"I hit a couple of good shots that if they went a foot either way would have been great - the tee shot on eight and second shot on six - if they had just stayed.

"But it's ok. It's a solid start. I could have been two or three shots better off but it's obviously nice to hole that putt right at the end on the ninth and finish on a positive note. I've still got the lead but it is going to be a long day on Sunday.

"You've got to make every shot count out there. Twenty-seven holes in that heat is going to be tough. I've got myself into a good position going and that's all that counts."

Three players share second place, including Frenchman Gregory Bourdy, who had the best scoring of the third round.

Bourdy, who began seven shots off the lead, collected seven birdies in his opening 10 holes to join McIlroy at the top of the leaderboard before dropping a shot at the 13th.

Alexander Noren is also 10 under after an eventful eight holes that contained only two pars.

The Swedish player led the field after two birdies in his first three holes but then double bogeyed the 136-yard fourth when his tee shot finished short of the elevated green, his first chip rolled back down the hill virtually back to his feet and his third shot finished short in the rough.

McIlroy and Bourdy elected to complete the ninth hole after the horn sounded to signal the end of play, while Norden chose to leave his long putt until first thing in the morning.

Kaymer collected six birdies in his first 12 holes and will have the chance to set a challenging target on Sunday, when play will begin at 0740 local time in an attempt to finish the tournament on schedule.

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Rory McIlroy: Well that wasn't the Masters plan

Rory McIlroy displayed the qualities that have won him so many fans during his short career as he came to terms with his disastrous day of destiny at the Masters.

McIlroy took a four-shot lead into Sunday but stumbled round Augusta National in 80 to finish in a tie for 15th as Charl Schwartzel took the title.

At the time, the pain was all over the 21-year-old's face. Things were already bad when he found the trees twice at the 10th and walked off the green with a seven.

He then three-putted 11 for a bogey and took four with the short stick on 12 for a double-bogey five.

The Northern Irishman could have finished with a birdie but missed yet another short putt at the last.

As the dust settled, McIlroy Tweeted: 'Well that wasn't the plan! Found it tough going today, but you have to lose before you can win. This day will make me stronger in the end.'

While McIlroy made a poor start to his final round with a bogey at the first, South African Schwartzel got off to a flyer by chipping in for a birdie at the opening hole and canning his second for an eagle at the third.

A birdie blitz on the back nine, capped by a superb three at the last, and the 26-year-old from Johannesburg was able to sign for a 66 and a 14-under-par total.

McIlroy added on Twitter: 'Oh and congratulations Charl Schwartzel!! Great player and even better guy! Very happy for him and his family!'

The likeable McIlroy won plenty of new admirers with his stunning play over the first three days and his reaction to Sunday's collapse.

He said: 'Thank you to everyone for all your kind words and messages of support. I'm a little overwhelmed! Very much appreciated!'

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Woods shines as McIlroy struggles

Tiger Woods gave himself the chance to stage the third biggest last-day comeback in Masters history as he dazzled while Rory McIlroy struggled early on.

Seven behind the 21-year-old Northern Irishman when he resumed, Woods went to the turn in a fantastic five-under-par 31 that was only one off the tournament record.

And with McIlroy bogeying the first and fifth in a nightmare opening, the pair were level on 10-under-par - and they had South African Charl Schwartzel alongside them after he chipped in at the first and pitched in for eagle at the third.

So if anybody thought McIlroy was in an unassailable position when he teed off four clear of the field they were quickly made to think again. McIlroy three-putted the first for bogey, struggled hard for a par five on the next after going in two bunkers and then missed from three feet for a five at the 455-yard fifth.

Woods had teed off an hour earlier, but after making four at the long second he pitched to three feet on the next - not as good as Schwartzel, but still pretty good.

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A three-putt bogey on the short fourth appeared a bogey he could ill-afford, but then came further birdies at the sixth and seventh, both from eight feet, and on the uphill 570-yard eighth he moved into overdrive.

His second shot ran up to 10 feet and in went the eagle putt before he salvaged a miraculous par at the next, going from pine straw in the trees to a greenside bunker and holing from 15 feet. And all this, of course, after 17 months and 20 events without a victory as he dropped from world number one to seventh in the rankings.

Luke Donald was in the hunt too, making birdie at the second and responding to a bogey at the seventh with a four on the eighth to be only two behind and joint fifth.

Fellow Englishman Ross Fisher was two further back after also making birdie at the eighth, but last year's runner-up Lee Westwood, having turned in 33, looked to have fallen out of the race when he double-bogeyed the short 12th.

He was four under with Scot Martin Laird, who playing with Woods was watching some sparkling stuff even if he was not able to match it. He was out in a level-par 36.

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MASTERS 2011: Rory McIlroy sets Augusta ablaze with sizzling 65

Last year it was St Andrews, this time Augusta National. Only the best is good enough for Rory McIlroy, who followed up his opening round 63 at The Open last year with a 65 on Thursday to become the youngest first round leader in the storied history of the Masters. 

Think of truly great players like Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, and their names are synonymous with these twin citadels on either side of the Atlantic.

Who knows whether McIlroy will be ranked with them one day but he is certainly keeping good company in selecting these sacred venues to give exquisite demonstrations of ball-striking we simply haven't witnessed since Woods at his finest. 

McIlroy was denied the privilege of leading on his own by Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, out in the last group of the day, who finished with two successive birdies for a 65 of his own to give Europe an early 1-2 advantage.

In achieving his historic landmark, beating the previous record-holder, 23 year old Seve Ballesteros in 1980, McIlroy didn't so much set the Masters alight as send it aflame.

As astonishing as it sounds, a 65 was about the worst the 21 year old could have shot since he missed four clear opportunities for birdies.

'I'm not greedy, I'll take 65 all day at Augusta,' he said. 'Yes, I missed some putts but I holed a few as well.' 

Tiger won this event at the age of 21 and McIlroy, third in his last two major championship appearances, has certainly delivered an opening round filled with intent.

Last year the Old Course got its own back on day two with a poor 80, and so today we will see how far the maturation process has progressed. McIlroy certainly sounded confident.

'I think that Friday last year at St Andrews will be a massive help,' he said. 'Of course it was very disappointing at the time but it was a valuable lesson in my development as a golfer. I shouldn't make that mistake again.' 

All credit should be given to Augusta's green jackets for noting the forecast calling for perfect scoring conditions and not reacting by sticking the pins in sadistic places.

This course is rarely so inviting as it was yesterday, with warm sunshine, barely a breath of wind and greens that retained plenty of moisture. Everything was set, therefore, for someone to deliver the kind of round that echoes around the sporting world, and who better to do it than McIlroy? 

'We all know he's got a wonderful golf swing, and that it is just a matter of time before he wins a bunch of tournaments,' said Tiger Woods, the world No 7 - that moniker takes some getting used to, doesn't it? - who opened with a 71.

McIlroy and Quiros, who won earlier this year in Dubai, lead by two from former U.S PGA Champion YE Yang and Korean KJ Choi. 

Among those who filed a 69 was Englishman Ross Fisher, while defending champion and Augusta specialist Phil Mickelson dropped a shot at the last for a 70. Despite that late bogey, he still turned in a score that leaves him well placed.

Paul Casey finished with three birdies in his last four holes for a 70 of his own while Luke Donald shot 72.

Anyone who watched the world No 1 and 2 in the hope of seeing them live up to their status would have been disappointed. Martin Kaymer, for some reason known only to him, has talked himself into believing he can't play Augusta, and so lived down to that feeling with a desperate score of 78. He's never made a halfway cut here, and it doesn't look like he will this year, either. 

As for No 2 Lee Westwood, he's having a terrible time on the greens, and this is no place to get it back, as he shot 72.

U.S Open Champion Graeme McDowell, Scot Martin Laird and Ian Poulter slipped to 74s, while Padraig Harrington's major championship woes continued as, handicapped by a neck injury, he shot 77. 

McIlroy's brilliance made Fisher's three under score seems pedestrian by comparison but the Englishman, part of the first group out, was rightly thrilled with his score. The last time he was in contention for a major his wife Joanne was heavily pregnant. That was the 2009 Open at Turnberry where Fisher, who led early in the final round before faltering, was threatening to walk off the course if Joanne went into labour. 

Well, here he is again and, would you believe, there's his wife back home again, about to give birth to their second child any day.

'She hung on a lot better than I did last time, and hopefully I can do as well on this occasion,' said Fisher.

Two years ago, he led at some point in all four majors and it is time the big hitter started delivering on that promise. 

McIlroy must have wondered if playing partner Rickie Fowler, dressed all in Masters green, was his lucky leprechaun as he made three successive birdies from the second. On the first three holes he made wonderful up-and-downs from difficult places, which seemed a fairly decent riposte to Mickelson's coach Butch Harmon, who opined his short game wasn't good enough to win a green jacket.

The Northern Irishman prepared for this week by having what his manager Chubby Chandler referred to as 'his sixth form holiday,' a trip round south Florida playing golf with an old school pal, Harry Diamond, and working with his long-time coach, Michael Bannon.

 'When we met up here I could see the light in his eyes,' said Chandler. 'He couldn't wait to begin.'  Getting 22 year old Fowler proved a wonderful draw. From first tee to last green the pair chatted away like a couple of carefree students. What did they talk about? 'Oh, cars, boats, you name it,' he said. 'Anything but golf.' 

On the eve of the event, McIlroy was scolded by a neighbour for throwing an American football in the streets outside his rented home.

'What do you think you're doing, stop making so much noise, there's a big field over there,' said the woman, who clearly didn't know him from Adam. Trust McIlroy not to play the big Charlie. 'I'm really sorry, we won't do it anymore,' he said.  From noisy neighbour to the man making plenty of commotion inside Augusta National. Come on Rors.

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