- McILroy narrowly obtained the cup to stay for the weekend in Qual Hollow
- The masters champion finished bang on the cup line the second day
- McILroy heads for the weekend nine-strokes behind the leader Jhonattan Vegas
With the prospect of an all-powerful embarrassment, Rory McILroy won a few more days at the PGA championship. He alone will know if it is a blessing or a burden at the back of the last two.
For the moment, his relief will be that he has not followed the summit of the Masters career by missing the Cup to a major, he was everyone’s favorite to win. Don’t be mistaken, it was one thing closely.
To explain to what extent we are close to the 18th hole, a monstrous by four of the 474 yards. He walked on the TEE at level, one inside the dotted line and after missing a footer for Bogey the previous hole. His progress was based on the fact of not making it a waste.
And then, as he had done so often a day earlier, he struck a horrible driving, slammed the hospitality standing on the left and his ball came to rest on the shore of a stream, a meter to be wet. From this stay, he hacked his way to Greenside Rough, struck a ugly chip and two strokes so that Bogey survives on the cut line.
A glorious accusation in the remanence of his triumph of masters? It wasn’t that. But by signing a 69, with a club throw on the 13th to make a good measure, he reached the clubhouse nine strokes behind Jhonattan Vegas du Venezuela.
The fact that this ranking is largely populated by the grade and the file means that a weekend overvoltage should not be updated. But among the many names in front of him, it is impossible to ignore Scottie Scheffler on Five Under and Bryson Dechambeau, who seated three sous.
Rory McILroy will be relieved to have cup at the PGA championships in Tali Hollow
The McILroy masters champion finished just on the dotted line to stay around the weekend
McILroy is nine behind Jhonattan Vegas de Venzuela, the leader of the clubhouse
The rest? They are a more surprising group, surmounted by Vegas, the World No 70, and especially Matt Fitzpatrick in the Six Under cluster. The former champion of the United States Open had a 12-month desire, the best shown by his number of cups wins over his first 20 from six to two.
But it was superb here, and with a second consecutive 68 built on five birdies and only two bogeys, without shots fallen on the diabolical background new. Since he dismissed his Caddy Billy Foster in exasperation two months ago, the recovery was comforting. The same goes for the placement of Richard Bland, 52, on Three Under, where he was joined by Aaron Rai.
A fourth Englishman was also looking for a high place before undergoing massive collapse. As always, Tyrrell Hatton remains attached to surprising moments.
Having started 10 and reached five under two bogeys in its first eight holes, a triple Bogey on 18 killed the card.
This collapse also generated his last piece of viral sequences when he held his driver on his face, after shooting in a stream, and shouted: “Piece of S *** C ***”.
He woke up more from there and finished with a 73, leaving him one for the tournament. There could be a moment when the most fuel -fuel character in golf is getting their hands on a major, but it is very unlikely that it comes here.
Hatton said, “Yes, I’m running hot right now. I am good enough to say sometimes the bad thing. I’m going to leave that.
As always, a debate will be made on the question of whether this talented 33 -year -old player is his worst enemy, and there is more merit in this conversation than those of Po around the game. Like him or not, he does a convincing visualization.
Scottie Scheffler is disturbing with the American with the American with only three shots in mind
Tyrrell Hatton had a merger after a triple Bogey on 18 killed his card
Hatton added: “If you take these abandoned shots, you are in a good position in the weekend. While now, I need to have two very good laps without being mistaken one foot.
“I had decent scores around this course in the past, so yes, I can go out and play a decent golf tour.
As for Vegas, the 40 -year -old Venezuelan player will have mixed feelings about his 70 round, because he ended with a double Bogey. He will also know that he had an absurd chance a hole earlier when a horribly loose starting blow hit a rake of bunker and bounced at a right angle towards the flag and allowed a peer.
The list of prominent players to miss included Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose, Ludvig Aberg, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Shane Lowry and Dustin Johnson. The reigning champion, Xander Schauffele, pulled 71 to survive one.
