Rory McIlroy is just three shots off the lead going into the weekend at the Genesis Scottish Open, but similar to his opening round of 65, the Holywood man feels that he left a few shots on the course in his second-round 66.
The world number two got off to a hot start with a birdie from close range on the par-4 first hole, and got it to -2 on the day with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 third. Despite struggling with a right miss off the tee on holes two, three and four, he found the putting surface on the drivable fifth and lagged his putt close to get to -3 through five, and the massive crowds following the McIlroy, Bob MacIntyre and Viktor Hovland grouping were getting excited.
Four pars would follow, but a neat up-and-down on the par-5 10th took him to -4 for the day, before another wide right off the 11th tee finally caught up with him and he was forced to take an unplayable from behind a tree and had to play a superb recovery shot from the greenside bunker to save bogey.
He got the shot back on the 13th, but that would be his last birdie of the day as he parred his way home, disappointingly missing from inside three feet on the par-5 16th as shades of Pinehurst returned to haunt McIlroy.
“Yeah, probably a little similar to yesterday,” was his summation afterwards. “I felt like I left a few out there. Had some good chances coming down the last few holes and missed a little one on 16 and had a good chance on 17 there that just slipped by. It’s two solid scores to open the tournament and obviously right into the mix going into the weekend.”
Although the weather conditions were as calm as you’re ever likely to find on the Scottish coast, he admitted that he’s still readjusting to links golf after a near year-long absence.
“Absolutely, sort of where you want the ball to land,” he replied when asked about the different thought process on links turf. “I definitely felt like the greens had just a little bit of fire in them today compared to yesterday and hopefully with these dry conditions that continues going into the weekend so that the golf course can continue to firm up and play, I guess, even linksier.
“Today I wasn’t totally on with my swing. So I had to manage my misses a little bit but I thought did I a good job of hanging in there even though I didn’t feel at my best especially over those last few holes.”
Ludvig Aberg enjoys a four-shot lead over McIlroy, but there are only three more players in between and he feels that another good start to round three will be key if he’s to reel in the Swede over the weekend.
“Yeah, I’ll have to get off to a good start tomorrow just like I got off to a good start today. There’s a few opportunities in that first six holes. So I think that’s pretty important, and you know, from there, see where I am.
“But yeah, if I can keep playing the way I’m playing and limit the mistakes, I think like I definitely feel like there’s a lower one in me. I saw a 62 and 63 out there today. If we continue to get condition like this, I think that’s what it’s going to take to be right up there around the lead going into Sunday.”
As for the short miss on 16? Whereas he admitted to feeling a sense of unease over the short putt on the 16th at Pinehurst, the miss on the 16th at The Renaissance Club was simply a misread.
“Yeah, a misread,” he explained. “I read the putt straight. I watched it go past the hole and didn’t look like it did much. Hit it straight but went a little left-to-right on me. Felt like I missed a good opportunity on the par 3, 14 and another one on 17.
“I’m probably standing here feeling like I should be sort of around Ludvig’s score if not a little bit better after the last couple days but I’m still in good position.”
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