Rory McIlroy is thankful that there is no Pacific Ocean to gobble up his loose shots at Riviera’s Genesis Invitational as he produced a bogey-free 65 to lie just one shot off the halfway pace.
The cream came to the top of the PGA Tour’s second signature event and McIlroy is in third place on 11-under, one shot behind Marco Penge and Jacob Bridgeman with Xander Schauffele, Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, Wyndham Clark and Tommy Fleetwood also in contention.
“There’s no Pacific Ocean to hit it into around this golf course, so that helps,” said McIlroy who has made just one bogey through 36 holes.
“Yeah, no bogeys is always nice. Making one bogey through the first 36 holes compared to the big numbers I had last week. Tidied everything up, which is good.”
McIlroy started brilliantly with three birdies in his first six holes, including at the par-3 4th for the second straight day, a hole which he lambasted for being lengthened.
The Holywood man looked at his imperious best when he eagled the par-5 11th but he began to hit those loose shots he has been fearing but was able to scramble crucial par saves most notably on the 14th and 15th to keep the momentum ticking in his direction.
A birdie on 17 capped off a professional display as he looks for his first win at this championship.
“I held the round together really nicely. When we sort of turned back into the wind there 12 through 16, made a couple of really good par saves.
“Took advantage of the par 5s on the back nine. The back nine’s playing a little bit more difficult. Yeah, overall obviously really pleased with the day and excited for the weekend.”
Taking a glance at the leaderboard, plenty of Masters contenders and/or winners are riding high at the halfway stage, including the current Green Jacket wearer who feels Riviera and Augusta share similarities.
“I think it’s probably a little similar off the tee. I’d say there’s some tough driving holes, but then there are some that are a little more generous like Augusta. But it’s the second shots, it’s controlling your spin and your trajectory. And then the green complexes, they’re not as — maybe not as severe as Augusta, like the slopes, but they’re just as tricky so I think that’s part of the reason.”
Meanwhile, Shane Lowry enjoyed a good day despite a bogey at the par-5 17th as he eagled the first and birdied the 7th and 11th to card a 68 and move into 33rd place on one-under.
World number one Scottie Scheffler saw a 7-foot par putt grab enough of the right edge and he fist pumped it home as he made the cut on the mark on level-par after a much improved 68 having been five-over through ten holes of round one.
Scheffler has started 73, 72 and 74 in his last three starts was unable to explain why he is making false starts.
“I mean, I would not say anything in particular,” he said. “I think in both the last two, teeing off late is never the easiest and I’ve gotten off to slow starts.
“Like teeing off yesterday when we did, was pretty challenging around this golf course.
“I mean, the wind and with how soft the greens were and how bumpy they can get along with wind and they’re fast, if it was last week it would have been easier because you can kind of at least try to jam it in.
“Here it’s like you can’t — you don’t want to have another three, three and a half feet coming back.
“It was nice to get out this morning on some fresh greens and hole some putts and do what I needed to do in order to get to the weekend.”
Leave a comment