McIlroy turns on style in back-nine

Rory McIlroy, who shared the lead after firing a five under 67 on Thursday at the Wells Fargo Championship, was stuck in neutral for much of his second round yesterday as he sandwiched seven pars between two bogeys on his first and ninth holes.

The second nine was a different story, as the world’s number two picked up where he left off after Thursday’s sizzling start and posted three birdies to get to one under for the day.

On a morning when Australian journeyman Scott Gardiner scorched the front nine at Quail Hollow to the tune of five birdies, including four in succession before making the turn at five under 31, most of those early tee times struggled to get into red numbers. McIlroy was one of them, until he went on a birdie barrage of his own on the way in.