NBC Sports showed images of Woods behind the wheel in a black sedan as he drove away from Doral. It returned toTitleist Men's Vokey SM4 Wedge - Oil Can Finish

 just as McIlroy holed a bunker shot for eagle on the 12th hole.

McIlroy pulled within one shot of the lead with a birdie on the 16th hole, but he closed with a bogey and a 67 to finish alone in third.

It was a day that left little doubt about McIlroy's spot atop the world ranking. Just like Woods in previous years, McIlroy showed he could never be counted out with an array of splendid shots -- most of them from precarious spots in the bunker -- and threatened to win.

Rose was oblivious to all this.

He opened with two birdies through four holes, which was enough to catch Watson, who looked out of sorts all day.

Watson didn't hit aTitleist Men's Vokey SM4 Wedge - Oil Can Finish

 on the front nine, and only one tee shot managed to stay inside the bunkers that frame the fairways. He was in the water twice, once in a canal on the fifth hole that not many knew were there. He shot a 39 on the front nine, which included three putts outside 8 feet to limit the damage.

It was like watching NASCAR. Watson would have looked more comfortable in his General Lee stock car he recently bought.

What was he thinking?

"I'm thinking I'm not playing very good," Watson said.

Still, he showed remarkable resiliency to give himself a chance at the end.

Watson wasn't the only player who faltered. Bradley opened with an eagle, tied for the lead with a wedge into 3 feet for birdie on the fifth, then rolled in a 12-foot birdie at No. 7 that gave him a two-shot lead.

Bradley came undone with bogeys on the par 5s, even though he was around the green with his second shot on both of them. On No. 8, his ball buried so deep in the grass behind the green -- he called for a ruling to see if Titleist Men's Vokey SM4 Wedge - Oil Can Finish

 had plugged -- that he purposely played 20 feet away from the flag, knowing it would roll off the green. He failed to get up-and-down.

Then, he three-putted from about 6 feet on the par-5 10th, turning a birdie chance into bogey.