Scott entered the final round three shots back and needed to replicate his Friday heroics – where he shot 63 which included an eight-under par closing holes – to mount a serious challenge for the title.

Unfortunately, his three-under par Sunday round was his worst of the week and it left him four shots shy of Rory McIlory – who claimed his 20th career title – and Scott admitted that he did not take all his chances.

“It was a great week. I mean, I played a lot of good golf. Anytime you reach 20 under par, there’s not too much going wrong, but going for the win today, I simply just did not have a good day on the greens,” Scott said.

“I played well, I gave myself all the opportunities and I didn’t make any of them and that was the difference. I think I played well enough to contend, but just left it all on the greens today.”

Cameron Smith also played some excellent golf in his first tournament of the new PGA Tour season to finish one shot behind Scott in a tie for ninth.

“I can’t say my prep was too good the last four or five weeks, but the game progressively felt better and better,” Smith said.

“The course got trickier and trickier and I was able to be there in contention, I guess, come Saturday, Sunday.

“It’s a good start to the season. It was good to make a ton of birdies, good to see some putts drop. And I’ve got another two or three weeks off now, so I’ll be back working on the game and hopefully have a better run at it in Houston.

“I think my short game probably wasn’t up to scratch. I think it’s not a technique issue, it’s just some touch stuff, having so much time at home. I’ll be sure to work on that.”

In Europe, Min Woo Lee has moved to number six on the European Tour rankings courtesy of his runner-up finish in the Andalucia Masters in Spain.

The 23-year-old finished three shots behind Ryder Cup player Matthew Fitzpatrick to put himself in with a chance of winning the season-ending Dubai World Championship, with its $US9 million prize pool.

Lee also achieved an incredible feat this week – breaking the Guinness World Record for the fastest hole of golf by a team of four.

The West Australian was quick to update his Instagram bio to: “2 x European Tour Winner, Guinness World Record Holder” after he knocked in the putt that clinched the world record.

In New York, Gabriela Ruffels performed well in the individual event of the Aramco Team Series – that was won by England’s Charley Hull – to record a top 20 finish.

Steph Kyriacou’s team finished in a tie for sixth in the team event – where Jessica Korda’s team and Sophia Popov’s team shared victory.

On the Champions Tour, Stuart Appleby continued his impressive form since joining the tour last month to place tied twelfth only four shots behind winner Lee Janzen.

Results

PGA Tour

The CJ Cup

The Summit Club, Las Vegas, Nevada

Winner Rory McIlroy            68-67-62-66-263

T5        Adam Scott             68-63-67-69-267

T9        Cameron Smith       66-67-67-68-268

T38      Marc Leishman       70-69-70-64-273

T38      Matt Jones              70-69-66-68-273

T64      Jason Day              73-70-72-65-280

T64      Cam Davis              68-69-74-69-280

European Tour

Estrella Damm NA Andalucía Masters

Real Club Valderrama, Sotogrande, Spain

Winner Matthew Fitzpatrick 71-68-70-69-278     €489,750

T2        Min Woo Lee           73-71-67-70-281     €249,687.50

T4        Ryan Fox                 70-69-74-69-282     €93,328.57

58        Jason Scrivener       73-68-77-76-294     €9,768.75

MC      Scott Hend               78-74-152

MC      Michael Campbell    80-83-163

Japan Golf Tour

Japan Open Golf Championship

Biwako Country Club, Shiga

Winner Shaun Norris           67-64-64-70-265     ¥42,000,000

T21      Todd Sinnott            68-68-70-73-279     ¥1,795,500

MC       David Bransdon      70-73-125

Ladies European Tour

Aramco Team Series – New York

Glen Oaks Club, Old Westbury, New York

Individual competition:

Winner Charley Hull            69-70-65-204

T20      Gabriela Ruffels      69-71-76-216

T45      Whitney Hillier         76-75-71-222

T51      Stephanie Kyriacou 75-73-75-223

Team competition:

Winners Team J. Korda and Team Popov -41

T6          Team Kyriacou                            -34

T10        Team Pederson (Hillier)              -33

28          Team Ruffels                               -17

Challenge Tour

Empordà Challenge

Empordà Golf, Girona, Spain

Winner Julien Brun                  65-65-67-69-266   €32,000

47        Blake Windred             70-67-72-69-278   €900

MC       Daniel Hillier               71-69-140

MC       Josh Geary                 69-73-142

MC       Dimitrios Papadatos   68-74-142

Champions Tour

SAS Championship

Prestonwood CC, Cary, North Carolina

Winner Lee Janzen                67-70-67-204 (won in a playoff)

T12      Stuart Appleby           68-70-70-208

T16      Steven Alker              69-70-70-209

T34      John Senden             70-72-72-214

T39      Rod Pampling            72-71-72-215

T46      Stephen Leaney        72-72-72-216

T46      David McKenzie        72-72-72-216

T67      Robert Allenby           78-69-73-220