It took 27 holes, but Rory McIlroy’s first competitive appearance since becoming a back-to-back Masters champion finally ignited at the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow.
After 17 pars and a closing birdie on Thursday, he remained one-under after covering the first nine holes on Friday, though his bogey-free run had come to an end on the second hole and he’d cancelled that with a birdie on the par-3 fourth.
Par-5s are typically bread and butter for the world number two, but he had to make birdie the hard way on the 10th, when he set up for a cut with a fairway wood from 266 yards and instead pulled it well left and had to get up-and-down from 60 yards.
The 17-footer he holed kickstarted a trademark Rory surge in which he birdied four of the next six holes, the pick of which was a tap-in on the par-3 13th after stitching his tee shot from 178 yards.
Unfortunately, having hit 14 straight greens in regulation – a new record at Quail Hollow – he found the fairway bunker on the last, then the greenside bunker and watched a seven-and-a-half-footer lip out, dropping him back to five-under par for the tournament but just four off the lead.
“I hit my irons better,” was his simple explanation for the improvement on Thursday’s round. “I hit a lot closer, especially on some of the par-3s. Holed a couple extra putts which always helps. But, yeah, it was a solid day. I wouldn’t say I played a lot better than yesterday, but I scored a little bit better, and maybe a little bit more efficient with some things. But, yeah, overall it was a good day, and it was a good day to get myself back in the hunt and feel like I have a real chance going into the weekend.”
Of the seven players ahead of him on the leaderboard, it’s Korean Sungjae Im that leads the way.
For the South Korean, the season hasn’t gone as well as he’s hoped. He’s battled through a wrist injury and has only one top-40 finish.
Now healthy, that may be about to change.
Im followed an opening round seven-under 64 with a 69 as he looks for his first tour win since 2021 in Las Vegas.
“I know this course very well, so I’m taking advantage of that,” Im said. “And then the scrambling, because of the play with the Presidents Cup, I know where to miss the greens, I’m very familiar with this golf course. But I didn’t putt very well today, but I’m happy with where I’m at.”
Tommy Fleetwood is in hot pursuit a stroke behind at -8 and in solo second. The Englishman doesn’t feel as though he’s been at his best over the 36 holes but managed to turn in two good scorecards in spite of it.
“It’s just nice to even get a couple of days where you have something to show for your work, I guess,” said Fleetwood, who will play in the final pairing with Im on Saturday. “Just a nice reminder that it will come good at some point if you keep doing the right things. So that’s been great. I just hope it continues.”
Justin Thomas, who won his maiden major championship on this course in the 2017 PGA Championship and Alex Fitzpatrick, who continues to ride the crest of a wave after winning the Zurich Classic alongside his brother Matt, share third at -7, with a further three players ahead of McIlroy at -6.
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