The tragic death of Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash overshadowed the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open where Rory McIlroy paid dearly for a sluggish start and missed a golden opportunity to regain the world No 1 spot.

Needing a win to go back to the summit, he fought back from three dropped shots in his first four holes by playing the next 14 holes in six under.

But while had to settle for tied third with Brandt Snedeker, three shots behind Australian Marc Leishman on 12-under par after a closing 69, he only had thoughts for the late Lakers star and his teenage daughter Gianna, who also died in the crash.

“I've never liked helicopters, that's terrible,” said McIlroy, who has finished third, first, fourth and tied third in his last four starts worldwide. “I'm so sad. Ironic given what LeBron did last night to pass him as well. Yeah, horrific.”

McIlroy never knew Bryant (41) but he admired his work ethic and skill.

“Grew up idolising him. First basketball team I really followed were the Lakers. He and Shaq played the Pacers I think it was 2000 Finals, that was sort of when I got into basketball. “

Assessing what made Bryant special, McIlroy said: “His dedication, his drive, the fact that he would make his teammates wait on the bus for two hours while he set an example and worked hard and mastered his craft, and that's what he did, he was a pure master of what he did. That's just so sad.”

Leishman (36) celebrated Australia Day by firing a superb, seven-under par 65 to win by a stroke on 15-under par from overnight leader Jon Rahm, who recovered from a nightmare start to shoot 70. Scores

Three strokes behind Rahm starting the day, McIlroy bogeyed the first, three-putted the second and pulled his tee shot into a bush in the penalty area at the fourth.

But he birdied the fifth, made a 22 footer for eagle at the sixth, then birdied the eighth and ninth to turn for home two shots behind on 11-under par but could pick up just one more shot coming home.

Rahm also started horribly by following a bogey at the first with a double-bogey at the short third before eventually battling back to go to the 18th needing an eagle three to force a playoff but could only two-putt from 54 feet for a closing birdie.

There was simply no stopping Leishman, who went out in five-under 31 and went on to make 151-feet of putts in an eight-birdie round.

After making two at the 232-yard 11th, he saved par from 20 feet at the 12th, birdied the 13th and then made clutch par putts at the 14th and 15th to extend his lead to four strokes before following a bogey at the 17th with a closing birdie.

McIlroy made bogeys at the 11th and 15th against birdies at the 13th, 16th and 18th but he would rue those early mistakes.

At the first he drove into a bunker on the right, came up short of the green in two but pitched 12 feet past and missed his par putt.

He found more sand off the tee at the second and three putted after screwing his approach back to 65 feet, then dropped another shot by driving into the penalty area left of the fourth.

“I shot 6 under for my last 14 holes,” McIlroy said. “I'm happy with the fight that I put up today. Marc played an amazing round of golf to go out there somewhat in contention and shoot 65. It was tough today, pins were tucked away a little bit, greens were maybe a touch firmer than they were the last few days.

“So for him to go out there and shoot 65, yeah, really, really good playing. To shoot 69 myself and 3 under par after that start, I was trying to make eagle at the last to consolidate third on my own, but T-3's a good way to start the year.”

It was also a nearly day for Tiger Woods, who came up short in his bid for win No 83, carding a 70 to finish six behind on nine-under.

He then learned shortly after waking off the 18th green of the death of his friend Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles earlier in the day and could be seen saying, “Excuse me?” when his caddie Joe LaCava told him the news.

“It is a shocker for everyone, unbelievably sad and one of the more tragic days,” Woods said,  revealing he did not understand why the gallery were shouting “Do it for Mamba” until hearing the tragic news afterwards. 

Asked his abiding memory of the Los Angles Lakers giant, he said: “The fire. He burned so competitively hot. And the desire to win. He brought it each and every night at both ends of the floor. Not too many guys can say that throughout NBA history.”

Woods added: “I didn't understand why they were yelling ‘Do it for Mamba’ on the back nine. People yell things all the time, so I was just, you know, plodding along, doing my own thing. Then when Joey told me that here, it's unbelievable, the reality that he's no longer here. LeBron breaks his record and he passes today. For all of us -- for me, I grew up a die-hard Laker fan, always have been my entire life. That's all I remember, and he was part of the most historic franchise in all of the NBA.”

They were kindred spirits in many ways.

“When he retired we'd work out at Equinox together. I was always getting up early, he'd get up early, we'd work out. You know, he liked and enjoyed retired life, but he missed being competitive beyond the court and doing what he did, but it was his time. We really connected on more the mental side of it, the prep, how much it takes to be prepared.

“For me, I don't have to react like he does in my sport, we can take our time, but you've still got to pay attention to the details and that's what he did better than probably any other player in NBA history. He paid attention to the details, the little things. The amount of hours that he spent in the gym in the offseason and during the summers to work on shots and do all the different things, it looked like it came natural to him on the court during game time, but he spent more hours looking at film and trying to figure out what's the best way to become better.

“That's where he and I really connected, because we're very similar. We both came in the league -- well, he came in the league and I turned pro right around the same time and we had our 20-year run together. It's shocking.“

Leishman was understandably thrilled to clinched his fifth PGA Tour win, especially after making up for hitting just three fairways by racking up 11 single putts.

“It feels amazing,” he said. “It wasn’t the most impressive stuff off the tee today. But if you miss in the right spots and putt well, it shows you can shoot anything and I proved that today.”

Rahm revealed after the round that he thought his closing, two-putt birdie was good enough to force a playoff.

“What people probably don't know is that on 18, after I made that putt on 17, I never looked at the scoreboard, so as far as I was concerned I was tied for the lead. Sorry, one back. So with a birdie, I was going to be in a playoff. I wouldn't have changed anything. I hit a great drive and a great second shot. The putt, that's a tough putt. You can't just ram it by 10 feet by, it's just not going to go in.

“So I did hit it with trying to make it with perfect speed thinking a two-putt would get into a playoff, but when [caddie] Adam told me the news, he's like, ‘Hey, good try.’ I'm like, ‘What do you mean, we're in a playoff.’ He's like, ‘Nope, he birdied 18.’ And I didn't hear any roars or anything, so I just assumed he parred. Again, even if I hit the right speed, that putt doesn't go in, it was left of the hole the whole way, so it doesn't matter. But still, it's just a sour feeling.”

Herbert wins Omega Dubai Desert Classic; Lowry climbs Ryder Cup rankings

It was a day of double celebration for Australia as Lucas Herbert (24) won the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and his maiden European Tour title when he beat South Africa's Christiaan Bezuidenhout with a birdie at the second extra hole.

Just four players broke 70 as swirling winds and occasional showers made for treacherous final round conditions at Emirates Golf Club. Scores

Herbert and Bezuidenhout shot four-under-par 68s to come from six shots off the pace to set a nine-under-par that none of the leading groups could match.

In the playoff, Herbert found water with his approach on the first extra hole but got up and down for par to force another trip down the par-five 18th.

He then claimed the title with a two-putt birdie after a colossal drive left him only an iron to the green and Bezuidenhout failed to get up and down from heavy rough behind the green.

Open champion Shane Lowry signed for a 74 that left him tied 11th on four-under while Pádraig Harrington also shot 74 to share 50th on five-over.

The Clara man’s title chances suffered a blow when bogeyed three of the first four holes and while he eagle the 13th from three feet, he bogeyed the next two holes before picking up a shot at the 17th.

Despite failing to challenge in tough conditions, Lowry moved up two spots to 15th in the European Ryder Cup World Points List, 21 points behind Lee Westwood.

Meadow 35th on 2020 LPGA Tour debut

On the LPGA Tour, Stephanie Meadow closed with a three-over 75 to finish tied 35th on two-under behind Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom in the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio in Florida. 

The Jordanstown star birdied the par-five first but bogeyed the second and then double-bogeyed the fifth and seventh to turn in four-over 40 before getting one of those shots back at the par-five 16th. Results

Sagstrom carded a two-under 70 to claim her first LPGA Tour win by one stroke from Japan’s Nasa Hataoka on 17-under.

She birdied the 17th to tie for the lead with Hataoka, then saved par from five feet at the last before the Japanese player missed a three footer to force a playoff.