Rory McIlro finishes in tie for 10th as Joaquin Niemann triumphs at the Genesis Invitational

Rory McIlroy enjoyed a solid end to the Genesis Invitational as he finished in a tie for 10th, nine shots behind eventual winner Joaquin Niemann.

McIlroy, whose strongest round in California was Saturday's 67, concluded the tournament with a three-under 68.

The world number five birdied the first and fourth either side of a bogey on the second. Another dropped shot on the 10th was however followed up by consecutive birdies on 11 and 12 before another on the 17th for a positive finish.

FINAL LEADERBOARD

Chile's Niemann held on to top spot on the leaderboard despite a level par 71 which prevented him from moving up from the 19 under mark he had reached ahead of the final round.

But he managed to complete a wire-to-wire victory, two shots clear of a US pair, two-time major winner Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young who carded a 65 and 70 respectively.

The 23-year-old, who is the youngest winner of the event since World War II, saw his three-shot overnight lead cut to a single stroke when he bogeyed the seventh after playing partner Young had birdied the first.

However, Niemann bounced straight back to birdie the next as Young bogeyed and a second PGA Tour title looked to have been effectively secured when Niemann chipped in for an eagle on the par-five 11th to open up a five-shot lead.

Niemann bogeyed the 14th and 15th to give the chasing pack renewed hope, the latter coming after Young had holed out from 53 yards for an unlikely birdie.

That meant the gap was down to just two shots, only for Young to bogey the 16th after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker.

Morikawa birdied the 16th and 17th but missed from 10 feet for another on the 18th, allowing Niemann the luxury of making two closing pars to seal victory.

Adam Scott