Match Play: A battle won, a tournament lost

He focused instead on Lee Westwood, a fellow No. 1 seed and the only man alive that, like him, was two WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship rounds away from being crowned the world's No. 1 golfer.

Westwood, his semifinal opponent Sunday morning in probably the most-anticipated game in Southern Arizona Match Play history, was also a rival.

The two have had polite spats - in golf, is there any other kind? - about their management teams. Westwood has subtly, of course, talked about McIlroy's age (22).

"This is no disrespect to the other two guys in the other semifinal, Hunter and Mark," McIlroy said. "But it was almost like, to me, it was like a final in a way. …

"That was the one I wanted all week, and I got. And that's what I got myself up for."

Maybe too much so.

Following his 2-and-1 loss in the final to Mahan, the Northern Irishman said it was hard to duplicate the intensity of that first match Sunday.

McIlroy defeated the Englishman, 3 and 1, around 11 a.m. Sunday.

That set up a one-match shot at gaining enough points to earn the World Golf Ranking top spot.

Still, that wasn't enough to match the earlier match.

"I think it's just because I knew I needed to play really well to beat him," McIlroy said. "I knew I needed my best golf out there this morning to get through.

"Of course, I needed my best golf to win this final this afternoon, but I didn't really have as much time to think about that.

"I had a lot of time last night and going to bed to think about that match this morning. And that's the real reason why I wanted to win so badly, was, because I had a lot of time to think about it. And I had a lot of time to think, 'Well, I need to get through this one to get to the final to have a chance.' "

Westwood dominated early, winning Holes 2-4 before McIlroy countered with four victories in the next five holes.

Leading by one, McIlroy hit his second shot at No. 11 near a cart path. Rather than bounce out of bounds, it stayed perfectly in play.

"That sort of thing can change a match," Westwood said.

Instead of Westwood's winning the hole to square the match, the two split the hole. Otherwise, Westwood said, "it's a different kettle of fish."

McIlroy took the next two holes and, after Westwood won No. 15, ended it by winning No. 17.

"I'm playing great," said Westwood, who finished fourth after losing the consolation match to Wilson, 1 up. "Every part of my game is pretty good."

McIlroy can certainly say the same. He has finished in the top 10 six times in his past seven World Golf Championships starts.

Following Match Play, his first stateside event this year, he will travel to the Honda Classic on Thursday and the Cadillac Championship the following week.

He has a chance to claim the world's top spot with wins there.

He could have done it with a better showing against Mahan.

"Deep down, you wanted to postpone that crowning of the No. 1 player in the world for Rory," the American said. "He'll get there. I mean, he's phenomenal."

With last year's format, McIlroy would have played the semifinal Saturday and had all night to worry only about the final.

He called that structure, which featured a 36-hole final round, "a better format in general."

It would have, at least, prevented the letdown of Sunday afternoon.

"Maybe the intensity wasn't quite as much as it was (Sunday) morning going out," McIlroy said. "But, you know, that - I think that's a little understandable after going through a match like that."

It's a rivalry he hopes will continue.

"I hope myself and Lee have a lot of battles in the next few years," he said. "I think it would be great.

"It was nice to beat him, but there's going to be times where he's going to beat me and I'm going to beat him.

"It was good to get one win over him under my belt."