Rory McIlroy, who hasn’t won a major since losing one ten years ago, shot a 5-under 65 on Thursday to tie Patrick Cantlay for the lead. It was his first hole-in-one since then.
A rare clean card for Pinehurst No. 2, McIlroy’s final round was a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole. He was approaching the cup for the fourth time when it fell, and he waved to the spectators in the double-deck grandstands.
For McIlroy, that was about the only thing that went wrong.
I wasn’t bragging. I believed I had said enough. However, it was pleasant and a fantastic way to end, and it got up there. Considering how I played today,including how I struck the ball and handled myself ,I think the score was well-deserved.
Playing in the morning under a bright sun, Cantlay made two birdie putts from the 20-foot range and holed out of a bunker on his second hole. His otherwise clean game was spoiled by just one bogey.
Playable and demanding, Pinehurst No. 2 produced over a dozen scores below par. Scottie Scheffler, the winner of the Masters, lacked one of them. Following his fifth victory of the year at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, the top player in the world appeared frustrated, sporting a new haircut and a clean shaven appearance, as he lacked his customary control when hitting the ball off the tee.
Even so, he was very much in the game and managed a 71.
The same could not be said of Tiger Woods. He made a solid start, but a seven-hole run around the turn saw him make five bogeys, ending with a 74, his 12th straight major round without breaking par.
At the fourth hole, which is the hardest par 4 on the course, McIlroy took command right away, smashing a 6-iron to 7 feet for a birdie and then chipping in from the front of the green on the following hole.
He benefits from soaring iron shots that land softly; these shots are often pin-high and far from the troublesome domed edges of Donald Ross greens.
With bogey-free rounds at Hoylake in the 2014 Open Championship, Kiawah Island in the 2012 PGA Championship, and Congressional in the 2011 U.S. Open, McIlroy has won majors the last three times he has begun bogey free.
“It’s critical to get off to a strong start in order to maintain your position since, knowing what lies ahead, you need to provide yourself with as much leeway as you can.”McIlroy said.
The PGA Championship runner-up at Valhalla, Bryson DeChambeau, and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon were tied at 67.
For the 25th time in a row, Sergio Garcia shot a round of 17 pars and a birdie, without making any bogeys. He played in the morning as well, and Cantlay’s 65 didn’t appear to worry him too much. That is equal to the lowest opening round at Pinehurst No. 2 in four U.S. Opens.
“Someone will always be able to hit the ball really well, have everything go his way, make a few bombs, and shoot it. It is possible to witness someone else hitting a 66, 65, or similar shot. It’s going to be challenging to shoot those kinds of numbers, in my opinion, as the course gets quicker and harder and a little wind blows through occasionally.”Garcia said.
Cantlay’s participation shouldn’t come as a surprise because, aside from his major league success, he possesses no true weaknesses in his game. Since recovering from a catastrophic back injury in 2017, he has made only 26 big starts, only four of which have been in the top 10, and only one meaningful opportunity to win one.
Cantlay finally witnessed his greatest buddy in golf, Xander Schauffele, win a major last month. Schauffele began with a 70. His performance at the onset was sufficient to question whether his moment will come next.
“I’ve been putting a lot of effort into improving. Additionally, it generally only takes a little while to see results when you put in a lot of effort and make a few minor adjustments.”Cantlay said.
Some of the scores would suggest that Pinehurst remained a test. In order to finish with 78, Viktor Hovland had to make a difficult par. Will Zalatoris, who usually does well in the majors, shot 75 while Justin Thomas shot 77. At 74, Dustin Johnson joined the group.
On the ninth hole, a solid bunker shot by Colin Morikawa, who has played in the last group at the first two majors of the year, rolled by the cup two feet away, took a slope, and ended rolling eighty feet out, making a double bogey. Even after making another double bogey on the 15th par-3, he was still able to finish with a 70 thanks to a successful bunker shot on the 17th par-3 and a 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th.
“Make one awful bunker shot and two lousy shots. On 9, it wasn’t too horrible. Aside from that, though, I thought I performed rather well. I’m overjoyed to have finished on par after today.” he said.
