Friday, March 12, 2010
RORY McILROY sentenced himself to some hard labour on the practice range after starting the WGC-CA Championship with a bitterly disappointing 76 in windy Miami yesterday.
It left the 20-year-old Northern Irishman nine behind the early leaders – but that deficit could have been far worse.
Australian Robert Allenby defied the difficult conditions to reach a brilliant eight under par after 12 holes, but by bogeying the last four for a 68 slipped one behind clubhouse pacesetter Charl Schwartzel.
McIlroy had only a few of the 68-strong field behind him after no fewer than six bogeys and so many shots into bunkers that he could not remember the final tally.
"I’m just struggling," said the world number nine, out-scored by five by playing partner and defending champion Phil Mickelson.
"I’m not playing well and just can’t keep things going. I’ve been struggling since the weekend in Dubai (now over a month ago)."
He has had back trouble in that time, but added: "That’s not really a factor. I’m struggling with the whole game. When you’re playing well it’s easy, but when you’re not it’s difficult."
Although McIlroy was exercising his back as he spoke he did not want anything read into that.
"Just keeping it mobile for the 500 balls I’m about to hit," he said.
Allenby pitched in from 114 yards for an eagle two at the fifth and after turning in 30 added further birdies on the 10th and 12th, both par fives.
He started to come back to the pack, however, when he went over the green at the 245-yard 15th.
"I couldn’t believe it was long. I thought it was short," he commented.
"Then I got a flyer on the 16th, thought I was perfect on the 17th and found myself with no shot from the bunker, then tried to hit a cut on the last and hit it dead straight."
Graeme McDowell was two shots better off, finishing with a 74, two over while Lee Westwood also hit a 74, after his second shot of the day found the lake left of the 10th hole and led to a back nine 40.
Pádraig Harrington finished his round with a birdie on the 18th for a two under of 70.
Schwartzel, twice a winner in his native South Africa already this year, did not drop a stroke all day, but was joined on five under when Fijian Vijay Singh had four birdies in six holes around the turn.
Luke Donald, back in action after his wife gave birth to their first child two weeks ago (and a month earlier than expected), turned in 33 after holing a bunker shot on the treacherous 18th.
With three to go Donald was two under and level with fellow Englishman Paul Casey, but from three under as well Ulsterman Graeme McDowell fell all the way to a two over 74.
Simon Dyson and World Match Play winner Ian Poulter were level par, Ross Fisher was round in a one over 73 and with one to play Oliver Wilson was joint last on six over.
His day’s work included a triple bogey six on the 236-yard fourth, where he went into water from a greenside.
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