McIlroy struggles in Atlanta

Rory McIlroy’s hopes of a second major title suffered a huge setback in Atlanta today – but it appeared to have nothing to do with his injured right arm.

Able to play on in the USPGA Championship after suffering a tendon strain hitting a tree root early in his opening 70, the US Open champion had impressively moved only two strokes off third place when trouble struck.

McIlroy, with his arm still bandaged and anti-inflammatory pills inside him, looked happy enough with his tee shot on the 207-yard 17th.

But it came down in the lake short of the green and he then three-putted for a triple bogey six.

From one under par, six behind overnight leader Steve Stricker, he went to two over and joint 55th place.

Stablemate Simon Dyson, however, was up into a tie for fourth place on three under after a birdie on the short seventh and Lee Westwood’s birdies at the 12th and 13th to be level par re-ignited his bid.

McIlroy was taken for an MRI scan after his opening round and was relieved to be told there was no sign of any tear in his tendon.

The Northern Irish star did not arrive on the practice range this morning until 30 minutes before his tee-off time, however. Normally he would be expected there at least an hour before.

He hit shots for only 15 minutes before moving on to the putting green and then to the 10th hole, where he struck a perfect drive, but three-putted for bogey.

His hand came off the club – as it did for most of his first round and again on his tee shot at the short 15th – with a pitch out of the rough on the long 12th, but he holed from 18 feet there and from 35 feet at the 16th.

There were two withdrawals from the event, however. Ryder Cup player JB Holmes, who started with an 80, pulled out citing illness and then Rocco Mediate, runner-up to Tiger Woods in the 2008 US Open, did not resume because of injury. His opening round was a 79.

Meanwhile, their compatriot Brandt Snedeker was given a two-stroke penalty for being late for his 8.10am tee time.

Snedeker was 135 seconds late. If it had been five minutes he would have been disqualified, but as it was he went from four over to six over before hitting a shot.

McIlroy parred the difficult 18th despite removing his hand from the club again playing the second shot over the lake, and as that was happening Dyson double-bogeyed the 467-yard eighth to fall to one under.

Open champion Darren Clarke and last year’s US Open champion Graeme McDowell - McIlroy’s fellow Ulstermen – were both heading for a missed cut.

Clarke, who took eight on the 12th in his first day 78, was in the lake there again, ran up a six and after 27 holes was nine over and still searching for his first birdie of the week.

McDowell went from four over to seven over with a bogey on the 13th and double bogey three holes later.