Reuters/Memphis, Tennessee
Rory McIlroy showed exquisite timing as he birdied three of his last four holes to surge into a one-stroke lead at the halfway mark of the St Jude Classic at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee on Friday.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits his third shot on the par 4 17th hole during the second round of the FedEx St. Jude Classic at TPC Southwind on Friday in Memphis, Tennessee. (AFP)
The Northern Irishman, who had missed the cut in his last three tournaments, looks to be getting his game on track just in time for the defence of his US Open crown in San Francisco next week with a five-under-par 65 for a total of 133.
“It’s nice to see my name on that part of the leaderboard,” the 23-year-old McIlroy told reporters. “It’s not nice when you’re struggling to make the cut on a Friday afternoon.
“It’s nice to be through to the weekend, obviously. It’s obviously even nicer to be leading and have a great chance.”
After dispensing the niceties, the world number two faced a tight third-round battle with three players tied for second on 134 and another trio two shots further off the pace.
Opening round co-leader Jeff Maggert, the 2006 winner here, shot a second-round 68 to share second place with fellow Americans J.B. Holmes (64) and Kevin Stadler (65).
Tied for fifth were Americans John Merrick (69), Chad Campbell (67) and Kevin Kisner (66), with US Davis Cup captain Davis Love III, Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, Noh Seung-yul of South Korean and American Ken Duke another shot away at 136.
Another shot adrift was two-time major winner John Daly, who shot a second-round 69 on return to his former home course.
McIlroy carded an eagle and five birdies to offset two bogeys, and narrowly missed out on a second eagle when he lipped out a putt of less than four feet on the par-five 16th hole.
The Briton found the groove on his drives and fired away at the pins, knocking several approach shots close.
“I saw a lot of positive things out there,” McIlroy said. “I felt like I drove the ball great on the last few holes and hit some great approach shots.”
A birdie at the second hole followed by an eagle at the par-five third helped put McIlroy in the right frame of mind.
“Three-under through three holes gave me a little bit of a boost today,” he said.
Earlier, Holmes had tore up the front nine to sit pretty at the top of the leaderboard after the morning section of play.
The 30-year-old Kentuckian, who has returned well after undergoing brain surgery last September, birdied the second and third holes and ran off four straight birdies from the sixth.
“I knew being dizzy, having headaches and everything that I couldn’t keep my (tour) card, I couldn’t play out here anymore, so I had to get something done,” Holmes explained about deciding to have the surgery.
“It was almost a relief to find out that the surgery was something that could help the symptoms and everything.”
Relief for McIlroy was turning around his run of form in time for his major title defence at the Olympic Club.
“The goal this week was obviously to see some improvement, to get some competitive rounds and get into contention and I’m right there heading into the weekend,” he said. “It’s going to be a great experience and a great way to prepare for the US Open next week.”
Westwood eases to comfortable win in Stockholm
World number three Lee Westwood completed his buildup to next week’s U.S Open with a convincing five-shot win at the Scandinavian Open in Stockholm yesterday.
Taking a three-shot advantage over fellow Briton and Ryder Cup team mate Ross Fisher into the final round, Westwood maintained plenty of distance between himself and the chasing pack all day.
He made sure of the victory with an eagle three at the par five 12th before closing with a three-under 69 and four-round tally of 269, 19-under.
It was his 22nd European Tour success and his third at the tournament after lifting the trophy in 1996 and 2001.
“I played really well this week - you don’t win tournaments by five shots without playing well,” Westwood said.
Fisher carded a one-under par 71 on the final day to finish second at 14-under with Spain’s Sergio Garcia producing a five-under par 67 to rocket up the leaderboard to end at 13-under in a share of third alongside Finn Mikko Ilonen and Swede Peter Hanson.
The eyes of the golf world now shift to San Francisco with the year’s second major beginning on Thursday.