McIlroy: I’d win every week... if I could play my best every week
Rory McIlroy reckons he’d “win every week” if he started firing on all cylinders – after failing to find top gear at the Irish Open yet again.
The four- time Major winner could only card a level-par 72 at Ballyliffin yesterday to sit on one under, 13 shots off runaway leader Erik van Rooyen of South Africa.
Tournament host McIlroy has been pleased with his long game all week but his struggles on the greens refuse to subside.
The Northern Irishman only managed three pars going out yesterday with three birdies and three bogeys on his front nine.
His putting woes even triggered an ironic celebration at the 16th, raising his arms at the sight of the ball disappearing into the cup for his first back-nine birdie.
McIlroy, who has failed to break 70 in Donegal, said: “I’m just sort of stuck in neutral this week and hopefully can finish off with a good one.
“It’s almost to the point where you need to start caring less about whether the putt goes in or not and just make a good stroke. If it goes in, great. And if it doesn’t, it’s not really a different result than you’ve had the last few holes.
“Tee to green has been really good. I could take my tee-to-green game straight to The Open in a couple of weeks’ time and be happy where that is.
“It’s just a matter of being a little more efficient and taking my opportunities when I give myself them, be just a little more efficient with my scoring.”
McIlroy, who will not be at Gullane this week for the Scottish Open, won the Arnold Palmer Invitational earlier this season with the best putting statistics of his PGA Tour career. Asked what would happen if he could combine this week’s ball striking with his putting at Bay Hill, he said: “I would win every week I played. Simple as that.
“If I had 100 putts every week I played and hit the ball halfway decent I’d win every week.”
While McIlroy continued to falter, former Masters champion Danny Willett finished five off the lead thanks to a back-nine blitz.
A double bogey at the second threatened to derail his bid only for the Englishman to rattle off four birdies in a row for a 69.
Willett, who is one shot clear of Russel l Knox af ter the Scotsman’s 68, said: “We had a nice little run on the back nine where we holed a few good ones and turned it round pretty quickly.
“A couple of the long-range putts were bonuses but it was nice to see them go in and keep the momentum going because when you saw the leaderboard after a few holes we were a helluva long way back.
“It was nice to finish five shots back and there’s still a lot to play for. When you’ve got such a big lead it’s a tricky place to be.”
Van Rooyen went out in a threeway tie for the lead but stormed to the turn in just 29 shots.
The European Tour rookie’s 66 leaves him on 14 under, four shots clear of Kiwi Ryan Fox and Swede Joakim Lagergren in second.
Van Rooyen, chasing a first Tour title, said: “I’ve been in this position before, maybe not in a Rolex Series but it’s golf. Go hit the ball, hit it on the green and make the putt.”
Defending champion Jon Rahm is eight shots off the lead after a 67.