Birdie run puts spring back in McIlroy’s step

Rory McIlroy came into Oak Hill looking to regain the bounce in his step and after a stirring fightback during the second round of his PGA Championship defence he was looking forward with optimism to a weekend in contention in the final Major of the year.

The world No 3 had started his round at one under par alongside fellow Irishman Darren Clarke, four shots off the first-round lead shared by Adam Scott and Jim Furyk. With eight holes remaining in his second round, McIlroy found himself not in contention but facing a third missed cut in his last four starts at five over for the tournament as Masters champion Scott was pushing his lead out to seven under.

Yet the persistent and often heavy rain that had hindered his progress over his first 10 holes and coughed up four bogeys and a double bogey suddenly subsided and McIlroy got his groove back, storming home in those last eight holes bogey-free and with four birdies to get back to level par at the halfway stage.

“I’m obviously standing up here pretty happy about the day,” McIlroy said after his second-round, one-over 71 that had been shaping up to be much, much worse.

“Had a nice finish to the round, was letting the round get away from me somewhat, but making four birdies on the last eight holes was nice to sort of redeem the round a little bit and keep myself in the tournament. Pretty happy and just looking forward to the weekend.”

Starting from the 10th tee, McIlroy had had just one birdie on his outward nine, at the par-four, 323-yard 14th.

The double came at the next hole, the par-three 15th, and was soon followed by bogeys at 17, 18 and the first to leave him facing a second missed cut in a row at the Majors.

Yet he turned his day around rather than let his shoulders drop and really came alive once the rain stopped.

A birdie came at the par-three third as he dialled in a 3-iron off the tee to six feet and then at the 570-yard par-five fourth, driver then 3-wood left him 50 yards short of the green, from where he chipped to 10 feet and holed the birdie putt.

There was more to come and at the par-four seventh he drained a 40-foot putt from just off the green and at the eighth gave himself a three-footer after hitting driver and wedge on the par-four.

“I needed to make some birdies to, I guess, just guarantee myself for the weekend, but try and get myself back in the tournament,” McIlroy said. “It was pleasing to see that. I had some nice shots coming in and more importantly for me hit some good putts coming in.

“I’m just being more positive. It’s all about attitude more than anything else and not getting too down on myself.

“I mean, walking up the second hole, which was my 11th hole today, all I wanted to do is be here for the weekend. All of sudden, I’m somewhat back in the tournament.

“It makes me feel good because maybe in the middle of the season or a couple of months ago I wouldn’t have been standing up here. I would have been going home. It’s good to be able to do that and fight back and makes you feel good about yourself going into the weekend.

“I get off to a fast start tomorrow and I’m right there. So it’s giving me a nice bit of momentum going into tomorrow.”

Clarke also fell back from his one-under starting position, carding a three-over 73 that left him on two over and hovering anxiously on the predicted cut line, although he said his opening 69 had been secured with inferior golf.

“I played very average yesterday and played wonderfully today,” said Clarke, who triple-bogeyed the par-four fifth.

“One shot that I hit [on the fifth], pulled tee shot, hit the trees, kicked down left. I laid it up, pitched it on the green. The flag was on 22, I pitched it 19-and-a-half and spun it back 30 yards back down off the green, through the rough, into the water. From doing the right thing and playing beautifully all day!

“Did everything right all day, so going from yesterday to today playing really well. I shot one under yesterday and three over today… I couldn’t have hit it much better.”

Clarke still comfortably outscored his playing partners, rival Ryder Cup captains Paul McGinley and Tom Watson, and although the Irishman outscored the US 2014 skipper yesterday with a 74 to the American’s 77, he lost the overall battle by two strokes on 12 over par, paying for his rustiness yesterday in his first competitive round for a month.

“It was fun,” McGinley said. “We battled and both of us felt the same. Look it was tough. It’s a shame it didn’t stay the way it was on Monday and Tuesday when there was a nice spring in the fairways and you could get it down there. It’s a different golf course today.”