For nine holes, it looked as though THAT Rory McIlroy was back. The one who won at Pebble Beach, at Sawgrass, and of course, at Augusta National.
The one whose first driver swing of the day resulted in a 392-yard bomb down a par-5 fairway and led the field in Strokes Gained: Off The Tee, the one who faced eight putts inside eight feet (three from the seven-to-eight-foot range) and holed them all, and the one who was intent on proving once again that he’s the best player in the game.
And for nine holes, that’s exactly what we did have – nine-and-a-half, even.
For the remainder, the other Rory replaced him.
It all began with a bad break on approach to the first – his 10th – where he somehow managed to spin his wedge shot back up the steep slope on the green. A yard longer, and he was probably looking at another eight-footer, instead, he had one of the most difficult 43-footers on a golf course famed for difficult putts.
His first putt wasn’t bad at all. A touch pacey, but getting it inside six feet was no easy task and he managed it… just. But you can’t hole them all. Even prime Tiger Woods missed the odd six-footer.
His bogey on four should’ve been a momentum booster rather than a momentum killer, but it was as though he knew he was leaking oil and was desperately trying to get into the garage for some mechanical repairs before serious damage was done.
And Oakmont is not a golf course to be played tentatively. Bogey on six, bogey on seven and a double on the par-3 eighth that measured 276 yards on the day were not devastating in themselves, but the manner in which he closed out the round makes them seem that way.
To be clear, he’s in no way out of this championship. He might be eight back, but two rounds in the 60s – it’s a par 70 – will leave him in with a chance on Sunday, maybe even a good chance.
It’s all about how he responds to the finish.
As media, it’s again disappointing that he refused to talk after the round. Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau had their own frustrations leaving the golf course having taken just one blow less than McIlroy did and both gave their thoughts on the day, but just because McIlroy’s blood was boiling to the extent that he gave us the swerve, it doesn’t count him out of the running.
After all, he did exactly the same thing at Augusta National back in April when he made two doubles in his final four holes to destroy what had been an excellent scorecard to that point.
He was seven back at the end of day one at Augusta and at one point led by four on Sunday. He’s only eight back here, and few expect J.J. Spaun to be the man that’s still leading approaching the 72nd hole.
If blanking the press puts McIlroy back into that frame of mind that he took to the golf course on Friday at The Masters, then all well and good, but the slumped shoulders and the lack of bounce in his step suggest otherwise.
He’s made a career out of proving the naysayers wrong though – and a career out of proving the yaysayers right too, he’s won five majors after all and been heavily tipped for many more.
Can he push the reset button and bring the Rory from the first nine holes back out for closer to 18 today?
Time will tell.
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