By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM

The police car that escorted Rory McIlroy to Medinah for his singles match at last year's Ryder Cup is up for auction.

After being confused by what time zone he was in, McIlroy narrowly avoided missing his tee time against Keegan Bradley when a police escort got him to the course with minutes to spare.

McIlroy went on to defeat Bradley, 2 and 1, as Europe matched the largest final-day comeback in Ryder Cup history.

The car -- a 2005 Ford Crown Victoria with just under 90,000 miles -- belongs to the village of Lombard, Ill., and was already slated for replacement.

The auction is set to conclude Monday, April 8, and the current bid is at $3,250.

By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent

HUMBLE, Texas – It wasn’t the finish he wanted, but, all in all, it was a good week for Rory McIlroy.

He closed with a 70 to finish at 4-under 284 before heading west to next week’s Valero Texas Open.

"It's been good,’’ McIlroy said of his 73-70-71-70 week. "Lot of positives to take from it. I've learned a few things as well that I can bring into next week and obviously looking ahead to Augusta, too. It's been a productive week. Obviously not the finish that I would have wanted, but, you know, there's still a lot of things I can take from it."

Things like working on his swing and giving his short game a workout on the shaved banks and firm greens at Redstone Golf Club.

"I think the way I've struck the ball for the most part has been really good," he said. "I think my short game has been sharp.  I think that's been, you know, a very positive sign this week.

"And, again, I just need to -- if I am going to -- everyone hits bad shots. I just got to hit the bad shots in the right places, that's the thing, and not short side myself and hit them in hazards and sort of give myself a little more margin for error, I guess."

Well outside the top 100 in the FedExCup race, Rory McIlroy will play next week to try and get on track. (Halleran/Getty Images)

By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent

HUMBLE Texas – Talk about playing your way to Augusta.

Every day Rory McIlroy’s game gets a little bit better. Every day he gets a little more confident.

Even after after he struggled on the back nine -- three bogeys in the last six holes, including one at 18 – he was upbeat. McIlroy’s 1-under 71 in the third round left him with far too steep a hill to climb to win Sunday – he was nine shots behind the leaders as they played late into the afternoon.

“Obviously not the finish I wanted,’’ he said. “ showed a lot of really positive signs out there, and I would love to take it forward into tomorrow and also into next week. Ultimately into the Masters in a couple weeks’ time.

“It's all moving in the right direction. I definitely feel like I played a lot better than the 71 on the scorecard suggests. So, you know, even though it wasn't my best round, scoring-wise, it was still a great one for me.’’

A top-10 at the Shell Houston Open would be nice. A win too, but that’s likely in his dreams here. And would mean he’d have to count on a myriad of mistakes from other people.

So, he thought Friday night, why not just head on over to San Antonio – 3 hours away – and get in some more competitive rounds before Augusta.

“Something I hadn't thought about until basically after I finished yesterday,” McIlroy said. “J.P. (Fitgerald, his caddie) was the one that mentioned it to me. Said, ‘If you just play a few more rounds, I think you're going to be ready.’ I didn't really think about it too much and sat down, had some lunch, started to think about it and I texted him and said, I don't think this is a bad idea. Probably took me an hour or two to sort of think about it and decide about.’’

The decision means he has to put off a UNICEF visit to Haiti, but, while it was important, so is the first major of the year. And he’s excited – not worried – about playing the week before a major.

“This is my 13th competitive round this year,’’ he said. “There's not any worry of burnout. No. I just feel like I'm playing well, I'm hitting the ball well. Everything feels good, my game. It's just about playing a bit more competitive course and getting a little sharper.

“I feel a little rusty out there at times. I think the more rounds I play, the better it will be for me going into Augusta.”

Overall, McIlroy played well tee-to-green.

“I drove the ball much better … I'm happy,’’ he said. “I had a putt on the 13th green to be 5-under par for the day. Obviously it wasn't meant to be.

“Made a couple of silly iron (shots) coming in, but, you know, I think with a bit more competitive play, one round here to go this week and hopefully four more rounds next week, I'll be ready. I'm very, very happy with the signs that I've seen.’’

By PGATOUR.COM Staff

To say that Rory McIlroy was disappointed in his finish Saturday would be an understatement.

McIlroy birdied four of his first 12 holes, then stumbled home with a slew of bogeys, including one on the par-4 18th. Still, he maintained that his ball-stirking is coming around.

"I had a 5-foot putt to go 5-under through 13 and 3-putted there," McIlroy said. "Didn't have the best of finishes, but I saw a lot of positives out there, I hit the ball really wet, the best I've hit it on the course this week and made me really happy with my game. I needed to eradicate those mistakes.

"It's all moving in the right direction. I definitely feel like I played a lot better than the 71 on the scorecard suggests. So, you know, even though it wasn't my best round, scoring-wise, it was still a great one for me."

By PGATOUR.COM staff

Rory McIlroy has commited to play in the Valero Texas Open next week at TPC San Antonio.

McIlroy has previously stated that he wanted to play more, particularly in preparation for the Masters.

It will mark McIlroy's first start at Valero, which begins next Thursday.

McIlroy played the week prior to the Masters in 2009 and 2010 at the Shell Houston Open.

Rory McIlroy shot a 2-under 70 in the second round of the Shell Houston Open. (Halleran/Getty Images)

By PGATOUR.COM staff

Rory McIlroy played the waiting game, but made the cut on the number.

McIlroy carded a 2-under 70 in the second round of the Shell Houston Open, to finish at 1 under for the tournament.

McIlroy got up-and-down for a birdie 4 from 85 feet on his 17th hole (No. 8) and then two-putted for par on the difficult 236-yard ninth hole.

"As I said, no one likes missing cuts and especially it's my last one before the Masters," McIlroy said. "Nice to have another couple of rounds, do some work on the range this afternoon and hopefully improve on the course that I've already done."

RORY MCILROY: Round replay | Scorecard

Following an opening-round 73, Rory McIlroy reflects on his play in the 2013 Shell Houston Open with Fred Albers from SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio.

Rory McIlroy says he's "still a little bit tentative on the golf course." (Halleran/Getty Images)

By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent

HUMBLE, Texas -- It’s all about getting comfortable.

And Rory McIlroy isn’t quite there. Not yet anyway.

McIlroy took a step back right out of the gate Thursday afternoon when he bogeyed the second hole at Redstone and took two more at the eighth hole when he doubled to turn at 3 over. But the world No. 2 settled down on the back nine, birdied four of the next six holes and finished the day with an opening 1-over 73.

“I kept in good spirits,’’ said McIlroy, who is nine shots behind leader D.A. Points. “I didn’t get too down on myself. It would have been great to finish at even par, but 1 over . . .’’

Well, it wasn’t horrible. Especially considering the wind was blowing 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon, the greens got firm and 75 percent of the day’s low scores came from the morning rounds.

“I think if I just eliminate the stupid mistakes, you know, I made double on a par 5 on the front nine and made a couple of silly bogeys,’’ he said. “If I can, you know, just not do that and keep playing the way I'm playing, I feel like I'm playing OK.’’

This is McIlroy’s fourth start of the year.

“I think I'm still a little bit tentative on the golf course and not committing to my shots fully,’’ he said, “so -- but I think that just takes time and hopefully another three rounds this week and some good scores will give me confidence going into the Masters.’’

There’s no question he’s hitting more good shots than he was early in the year, but he’s not letting it go. “It needs to get more free-flowing,’’ he said.

And he needs to cut down on the mistakes. The ones he made at the eighth that led to the double bogey.

 “I just tried to commit to myself a little more on the back nine and seemed to help,’’ he said. “So, a couple of loose shots here and there, but all in all, it was a tricky day, and if I could have got it back to even par, I would have been pretty happy, but I'm 1-over par and hopefully the conditions are a little calmer tomorrow morning and go throughout and make some more birdies."

Rory McIlroy hits his 106-yard approach shot on the par-4 10th hole to within one foot and would eventually tap in for birdie.

Steve Stricker picked up more than two shots on the field average per round in putting at the WGC-Cadillac.
(Chris Condon/PGA TOUR)

WEEKLY PERFORMANCE STATS ARCHIVE

Week 2: Sony Open in Hawaii

Week 3: Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation

Week 4: Farmers Insurance Open

Week 5: Waste Management Phoenix Open

Week 6: AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

Week 7: Northern Trust Open

Week 8: The Honda Classic