Do you remember the volunteer stationed at the 17th hole, a par 3? His sharp gaze was always on point, ready with flags to mark the native terrain replete with tangled wire grass and other kinds of vegetation that golfers typically steer clear of.
Andrew was a man well-versed in golf. He had recently returned from a dream journey to Ireland, where he had been a member of a victorious international team taking part in the Donegal Links Classic. He played courses like Ballyliffin, Rosapenna, and Portsalon. Furthermore, he had committed himself to voluntary work for the next US Open at Oakmont.
However, there was no need for flag marking during Rory McIlroy’s play. His initial shot flew beyond the flag, landing about 30 feet past the hole. “This is going to get interesting,” murmured the volunteer spotter, his prediction ring true as McIlroy’s gently struck putt increased speed and zoomed past the hole. The ball kept rolling and eventually dropped off the front of the green.
At this point, McIlroy swapped clubs with his caddie Harry Diamond, storing the putter and selecting a wedge instead. McIlroy has been excelling in this part of his game lately, and he didn’t disappoint the spectators, successfully using the chip shot to maintain par.
Indeed, it was one of those days where miraculous par saves were as significant as any birdie. In reality, McIlroy demonstrated this part of his game, along with a somewhat cautious strategy, during a round that concluded with him signing for a 72, supplementing his opening 65 to achieve a midpoint total of three-under-par 137, ensuring he remained competitive.
His ability to maintain par wasn’t a one-time showpiece. During the par 5 fifth – his round’s 14th, the spotter only needed one red flag for McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, and Scottie Scheffler who all made the similar error of landing on the green’s left side, causing their balls to roll into the wild area and end up encircling each other like a wagon wheel.
McIlroy characterised the fifth’s back-left pin site as “rather hazardous”. If you falter even slightly to the left, problems could arise, as demonstrated by Xander and Scottie’s attempts. In contrast, McIlroy gladly managed to overshoot the green, securing a five by getting it up and down.
Being the third contender proved beneficial and marked a significant distinction in results. Scheffler’s initial push met the bank and rolled back down while Schauffele overshot the green, ending up on the far side at the run-off. The key contrast was McIlroy’s successful par rescue, while Scheffler and Schauffele, ranked first and second respectively, ended up with double-bogey sixes.
McIlroy, who remarkably managed to avoid a majority of errors on the scorecard, stated, “I performed fairly well overall, maintaining strong control of the game.” Although he regretted not capitalising on more opportunities and admitted his putting wasn’t up to mark, he remained optimistic about his position heading into the weekend. Thanks to his irons and driver, he delivered an impressive presentation, only missing a single fairway on the 18th.
McIlroy noted that the course demanded deeper contemplation. He cited an instance from the eighth hole where precisely 146 yards were required to reach the hole- neither 144 because it wouldn’t suffice, nor 148 because it would overshoot.
“I believe I’ve managed to nail it the majority of the time,” he asserted. His strategy was not to aim pin-high but rather to focus on a specific number with a wedge, possibly falling short by five and with a mid-iron, attempting to land it 30 feet short of the pin to eventually reach pin-high. Explaining his approach, he added, “It requires a slight extra thought, intensified consideration of every move you make.”
McIlroy will continue with the conservative approach in the coming weekend as he pursues his fifth major career win. However, he stated that he has no plans to view the performances of earlier participants on TV.
“I tend to avoid observing where others are playing their shots. It especially puts me off when I’m watching others putt on the greens, because then my judgement on similar future putts is influenced by what I’ve seen on TV rather than my own on-the-spot assessment. I much prefer not to have that choice at all,” he added.