\n<\/p>\n
Masters champion McIlroy was left to rue a slow start but soon put himself in contention with five birdies in a row.<\/p>\n
That left him with a chance of victory, but a wayward tee shot on the 18th left him in deep rough and he could only find the bunker with his recovery, and that ended his hopes.<\/p>\n
“I was just trying to get the most out of what I had. I didn’t have the greatest of starts and I wasn’t really focused on winning, I was just trying to piece it together with good swings,” McIlroy told Sky Sports.<\/p>\n
“It was still a good first week back and I learned a lot about my game. I wasn’t very sharp, but hopefully I’m a bit sharper now going into next week.”<\/p>\n
The demise of McIlroy left a shootout between Lowry, who had moved into the solo lead on 10 under with a birdie on the 13th, and Elvira, who had led but fell back into the pack after back-to-back bogeys on the eighth and ninth. <\/p>\n
However, a superb recovery from Elvira on the 10th, when he made par despite taking a drop for finding water, sparked his comeback and he held his nerve to win. <\/p>\n
“It means the world. If you had told me on Tuesday that I was going to be winning this I would never have believed you,” the 38-year-old told Sky Sports. <\/p>\n
“It’s a dream come true, especially having my family here. Whatever happens now will not come close to this.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n