Brilliant Rory McIlroy roars into contention at Doral
Just 24 hours after a mediocre performance with the blade, the former world No 1 made a major winner’s move, holing a 20-footer for birdie at the 18th for a sensational seven under 65 that left him just two off the lead.
Having used the blade 33 times and single putted just four times in a 71 on Thursday, McIlroy overcame an early putting blip to run riot on the greens.
A total of nine single putts in his first 12 holes, including five in a row from the fourth, saw him soar up the leaderboard en route to a 23-putt, seven under par round that eventually left him tied for second with defending champion Dustin Johnson (64), two shots behind leader Adam Scott (66) on eight under par.
“I stroked the ball well yesterday, I just struggled with the pace,” McIlroy said at the finish. “So I worked a little bit on pace last night. It was nice to birdie the 18th. I saw that Adam birdied the 17th to get to 10 under so i didn’t want to be too far behind going into the weekend.”
McIlroy added: “There’s been a lot of good in there this year. I made the most birdies out of anyone in Dubai. I was up there in birdies in Northern Trust and I made more birdies than Rickie Fowler in the Honda Classic and missed the cut so the birdies have been there, but it was just eradicating the bad stuff.
“The putts from inside 10 feet have been missing and I holed those today. That’s the difference between turning 71s and 70s into 65s. I am very excited to be in the mix. If I can feel as comfortable on the greens over the weekend there is no reason why I shouldn’t have a great chance.”
Scott, who won last week’s Honda Classic, continued his good form with a six under 66 for a two shot lead over McIlroy and Johnson, who blasted an eight under 64.
After following a chip and putt birdie at the first by lipping out from four feet for par at the second, McIlroy crucially holed a seven footer for par at the fourth and he was off and running.
He birdied the next four holes in row, holing putts of seven feet, 14ft, five feet, and three feet to got five under par.
Out in 32, he then had to hole a seven footer for par at the 10th after bunkering his third and a nine footer at the 11th after a poor chip.
He then holed a 10 footer for birdie at the par-five 12th and a 25 footer at the par-three 15th to go six under for the day before finishing with that great birdie at the last.
If it was a great day on the greens for McIlroy, it was a frustrating one for Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell as they failed to get rewarded for some excellent play from tee to green.
Lowry bogeyed the ninth, his 18th, from the green side bunker and fell back to level par after a 73 while McDowell was smiling after a birdie-birdie-par finish for a 71 left him on one over.
“That’s probably the least I have ever got out of a round of golf,” Lowry said after a round featuring three bogeys and just two birdies. “I am playing great, so I am expecting a decent weekend.
“You know, I feel I am hitting great putts and the putter feels great in my hand. I feel like I am going to hole putts, they are just not going in.
“I was very disappointed to bogey the last to be level par for the tournament. If I’d made par, I’d have been happy at one under.”
Lowry’s frustration was summed up by the 18th, his ninth, where his 192-yard approach from the centre of the fairway sailed so far right it ricocheted off the roof of a corporate tent right of the green and ended up near the practice putting green.
“For the front nine, I felt like I didn’t hit a bad shot and I was one over,” Lowry said, revealing he had to bite his lip after that shot following his bad language fine last Sunday.
McDowell could not be happier with the way he is striking the ball but he was also frustrated on the greens, despite finishing birdies at the seventh and eighth.
“I hit the golf ball really really well,” McDowell said. “I got off to a slow start and then the last 13 or 14 holes I hit the ball beautifully.
“The putter has been eluding me slightly and I’ve hit a lot of great putts that haven’t gone in. It’s just been one of those days on the greens.”
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