ANYTHING JOR CAN DO..
After Spieth’s ‘Seve’ escape, Rory gets in on act to keep his hopes alive.. just
RORY McILROY summoned the spirit of Seve to conjure a miracle par save along a cart path – and then made two late birdies to squeeze inside the cut line.
But the fickle Ulsterman also suffered a horror run of four bogeys in five holes to fall 10 shots off the clubhouse lead at the US PGA.
Kevin Kisner carded a second 67 to lead at eight-under par on the tough Quail Hollow course.
Pre-tournament favourite McIlroy is two over after his pair of 72s. Just like Jordan Spieth in the first round, he took advantage of the short par fours at No.7 and No.8 to salvage a respectable score after starting on the 10th tee.
And as the American did from the truck park at Royal Birkdale (right), he also put in a thrilling Seve-style shot to save par on his opening hole. After pushing his second shot at the 10th on to the cart path, McIlroy took a free drop then bounced his six-iron off the concrete and in and out of a bunker before stopping near the green. He chipped up to two feet for par.
“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. I just said: ‘OK, I’ll bounce it up the cart path and see where this goes’.
“I was just trying to get it in the bunker and luckily I hit it with enough speed and it got up and out of there. That could have been a six or a seven quite easily. So to actually get away with a five, I actually felt pretty good about myself going to the next tee.”
McIlroy missed a series of short putts after the turn to fall to four over par and outside the cut line. Big drives at the last three holes set up birdie chances – and he took the first two to improve his mood.
“I had a little bit of a mini-rally at the end which I needed,” he said. “I feel a lot better about myself being two over instead of four over. I think it’s a big difference.”
McIlroy, who shot 61 at Quail Hollow in 2010 before last year’s revamp, added: “A low round now is a 66 or a 67. You’re playing your ass off to get that.
“If I shoot two 67s over the weekend, I’m going to have a really good chance. I do feel I have two 67s in me. Kis is on fire. But take him out of the equation, I feel like I’m still right there in the tournament.”