Rory McIlroy makes amazing cart-path par at PGA Championship
DOUG FERGUSON
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rory McIlroy saw his second shot sail toward the gallery at the PGA Championship, so he knew it would be right of the green on the par-5 10th hole at Quail Hollow.
He just never imagined it would be 100 yards away.
Or that he would be playing on a different hole.
Unfortunately for him, the ball hit a cart path. Worse yet, the path headed down a steep slope toward the 11th fairway. By the time it finished bouncing, McIlroy had to drop the ball in a patch of thick grass so far down the hill that he had to get creative with his escape.
“It was really the only option I had,” McIlroy said. “I dropped it in a pretty bad lie, so I couldn’t carry it over the cart path. So I hit a 6-iron. Just said, ‘OK, I’ll bounce it up the cart path and see where this goes.’ ”
He punched the 6-iron and it skipped twice along the cement path with so much speed that it went into the bunker, out of the bunker, onto the green and across the green until it settled in the light rough on the other side. He chipped down to a foot and tapped it in for his par. Simple. As he waited to tee off on No. 11, McIlroy leaned over and whispered, “For what it’s worth, it’s 110 yards if you’re ever down there.”
It was an amazing start, and the most excitement he delivered Friday. But he needed so much more.
For the second straight day, McIlroy went through a bad stretch of holes that sent him further away from the lead. He got out of position off the tee, couldn’t hit the right shot toward the green, and made four bogeys on a five-hole stretch early on the front nine.
He at least salvaged the round with two late birdies for another 1-over 72. As he was wrapping up his round, he saw a leaderboard that showed Kevin Kisner at 8 under for the tournament, and suddenly McIlroy’s bid to end a three-year drought in the majors became that much more difficult.
He was 10 shots behind going into the weekend.
“There’s still 36 holes to go and a lot of golf to be played,” he said. “As I said, I still feel I’m right there in the tournament.”
McIlroy is no stranger to rallies at Quail Hollow. This is where he recorded his first PGA Tour victory, when he was on the verge of missing the cut until an eagle on his 16th hole got him into the weekend. From there, he shot 66-62 and won by four shots over Phil Mickelson.
McIlroy won again at Quail Hollow with a 61 that sent him to a seven-shot victory.
But this isn’t the same golf course. More than the club overhauling three holes of the opening stretch, it switched to a Bermuda grass that can lead to gnarly lies off the fairway and around the green, and putting surfaces that can get as quick as any greens they play all year.
“I guess a low round used to be a 61 or a 62,” McIlroy said. “A low round now is a 66 or a 67. You’re playing your (tail) off to get that. I’d say if I shoot two 67s over the weekend, I’m going to have a really good chance.”
McIlroy was not surprised by some of the names on the leaderboard, but the scores by their names.
“This is not the Quail Hollow we have gotten to know over the last 10 years,” he said. “It’s a completely different golf course. Even if they didn’t do anything else with the golf course and just changed it to full Bermuda like it is now, all of a sudden it makes the golf course two shots more difficult.”
STEVE REED
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Phil Mickelson managed a quick smile and a tip of the cap to the crowd after his second round at the PGA Championship. There was no denying the frustration on his face.
“Atrocious,” Mickelson said a few minutes later, describing his play this week and at the British Open last month, where he failed to make the cut.
The 47-year-old Hall of Famer finished 11 over through 36 holes at the PGA on Friday and is expected to miss the cut for the first time since 1995.
The realization the streak was ending set in after an openinground 79 — his worst round at the PGA Championship. It took Mickelson 31 holes to make a birdie.
“I’m having a tough time visualizing the shot,” he said. “I’m having a tough time controlling my thoughts and not letting it wander to what I don’t want to happen.”
The big question now: Where does he go from here?
The President’s Cup is in September and for perhaps the first time Mickelson might be watching from home. U.S. team captain Steve Stricker spoke with Mickelson recently. He would love to see him on the team, but his play must improve.
“I told him I would like to see him play well here on out to show me something basically, and that doesn’t sound right coming from a guy like me talking to Phil,” Stricker said. “Hey, show me something — that doesn’t sound right. (But) that’s basically what I said. Show me that you are playing good at the end of the year.”
Mickelson desperately wants to be on the team.
He points out he has made the cut in 16 of 18 tournaments this year, with the two majors being the exception. But Mickelson is ranked 30th in the world and has only one top-10 finish in the last 11 tournaments — a ninth at the St. Jude Classic.
He hopes to play well in the first two events of the FedEx Cup to show he belongs. Mickelson has been a captain’s choice before, but he prefers to make the team on his own merit.
Stricker said the U.S. team, including qualifying players and assistant captains, will have a say in the two captain’s choices.
“I know how important he is on the team,” Stricker said. “How good he is with the young guys and in the locker room and that kind of stuff.”
Mickelson said his struggles are unlike those from two years ago when he was searching for his game and looking to improve his ball striking. He said he’s hitting the ball extremely well during practice — on the range and the greens.
These days, it’s lack of concentration in tournaments. Mickelson plans to spend the next week trying to find a way to control his thoughts.
“If I have a short putt, it’s not a technical issue — I’m just not seeing the ball go in and staying committed,” Mickelson said. “I’m just losing focus on every shot. I have a week to work on it and see if I can get it dialed in . ... Just not real focused when I’m out there.”