Rory emerges from the doldrums
JUST about the only thing missing in terms of exciting storylines in the build-up to the Masters has been the glorious sight of Rory McIlroy in full flow. Over the first 36 holes at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, the Northern Irishman did enough to suggest we shouldn’t give up on the possibility just yet. Certainly, his golf thus far in his final strokeplay start before Augusta — he will also compete in the WGC-Match Play in Austin next week — has been a massive upgrade on the erratic, uncertain play we saw over the previous month in America. This was more like the McIlroy who started the season with back-to-back top-three finishes in the Middle East. Most encouraging of all has been the startling improvement in his putting, so often his achilles heel. After a second-round 70 for a five-under-par total of 139, McIlroy was in the top five in strokes gained in putting. If the 28-year-old finishes in the top five at Augusta in that category, there would be every chance Sergio Garcia would be helping him into a green jacket to complete the career Grand Slam. For that to happen, however, he would have to cut out the sort of brainless course management that cost him a shot on his penultimate hole, the eighth. After three birdies in a row, McIlroy caught a horrendous lie after a poor tee shot. The situation cried out for laying up short of the water that guards the green but he went for it and duly paid the price. After taking a penalty drop, McIlroy got up and down for what should have been an easy par rather than an aggravating bogey. Still, if he can cut out the silly errors, the rest of his game appears good enough to mount a challenge this weekend. The joint leaders were 24-year-old American Bryson DeChambeau and Swede Henrik Stenson, who followed up his first-round 64 with a 69 for 11 under. As for Tiger Woods, who opened with a 68, it was more of a struggle as he scrambled to a 72.