SOUTHPORT – Rory McIlroy has successfully navigated his way to the weekend at Royal Birkdale, but the challenge ahead is significantly greater if he hopes to lift the coveted claret jug.
In a commendable performance on Friday, the world No. 2 posted a 3-under 67 in the second round of the British Open, bringing his overall score to 1-under par, thus ensuring he makes the cut. The projected cut currently sits at level par, indicating that McIlroy’s score has secured his place for the weekend rounds.
However, despite this positive result, McIlroy acknowledged he left some shots out on the course. His performance was overshadowed by two morning starters, Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns, who both tied the major championship record with impressive rounds of 62 in near-perfect playing conditions.
“It was a little better today,” McIlroy reflected, “but still didn’t feel 100% comfortable. Hopefully, I can try to figure that out as the week goes on.”
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With McIlroy sitting seven shots off the clubhouse lead held by Herbert at 8-under par, he faces a steep uphill battle. Notably, No. 4-ranked Cameron Young is at 6-under, and top-ranked players like Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, and Bryson DeChambeau are just beginning their second rounds, already placing them higher on the leaderboard.
Having previously won the Open Championship in Hoylake in 2014, McIlroy struggled with his putting in the first round, scoring a 72. He expressed his ongoing frustrations with the greens, stating, “I felt like I hit good putts and they did something completely different to what I saw in the read, and I think that’s a little unnerving.”
Despite his difficulties on the greens, McIlroy excelled in his driving game. He notably drove the green on the par-4 ninth hole for the second consecutive day, delivering a remarkable 377-yard tee shot that landed just 11 feet from the pin, contributing to three of his four birdies on Friday.
Yet, his performance on the par 5s leaves room for improvement, as he has only managed one birdie on these holes throughout the tournament. As the weekend approaches, McIlroy hopes that the conditions will allow him to be more aggressive off the tee, stating, “I think any time I can get a driver in my hand, I’m going to try to.”
With aspirations of taking advantage of his driving abilities, McIlroy acknowledges the need to tackle the greens effectively, saying, “I just feel like with how I’m feeling with the driver, I think it’s a big advantage if I can get the ball down there and take out some of these fairway bunkers.”
“I’ll continue to do that when I can, and then I’m still trying to figure out these greens a little bit.”
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
