RORY’S IN CONTENTION
MCILROY FIVE SHOTS OFF THE PACE SET BY SUPER SPIETH AT WET AND WINDY BIRKDALE
An “ecstatic” Rory McIlroy had no need for a pep talk after one of his best Open Championship rounds kept him firmly in contention for a fifth major title at a wet and windy Royal Birkdale.
McIlroy added a 68 to his opening 71 to post a halfway total of one under par and lie five shots off the pace set by Jordan Spieth.
Spieth, who would join McIlroy in being three quarters of the way to a career grand slam with victory tomorrow, defied strong winds and torrential rain – which led to a short suspension in play in late afternoon – to card an erratic 69, which included three birdies, four bogeys and an eagle.
At six under par, Spieth led by two from Ryder Cup team-mate Matt Kuchar, with England’s Ian Poulter, who was second at Birkdale when it last staged the Open in 2008, on three under alongside US Open champion Brooks Koepka.
McIlroy was five over par after six holes of his opening round and seemed destined for a fourth missed cut in five events until a stern talking to from caddie JP Fitzgerald prompted a back-nine rally.
The world number four came home in 32 with three birdies in the last four holes and maintained that momentum yesterday with birdies on the first, third and sixth taking him to the turn in 31.
That was an eight-shot improvement on Thursday and although he dropped shots on the 13th and 15th, a birdie on the 17th helped McIlroy climb into the top 10.
“That’s right up there,” said McIlroy.
“To be in after two days and be under par for this championship after the way I started, I’m ecstatic with that. I went out and believed in myself from the first tee shot, hit it within 60 yards of the green and went from there.
“I just wanted to continue with that good feeling from the last few holes (on Thursday) and went out with that positivity and trust in myself and just need to keep that for the next two days. I cant wait.”
Spieth gave himself nine out of 10 following an opening 65, but admitted he needed some good luck to post a halfway total of 134.
“I give myself a B grade today,” Spieth said. “I got pretty frustrated through the turn, hitting it into pot bunker after pot bunker and squeaking out pars somehow, but I thought we did a good job after the horn blew.
“It couldn’t have been better timing and I could play the last eight holes almost as a new round.
“I didn’t get everything I could out of yesterday’s round and I got more than what I deserved today.”
That included a mis-hit fairway wood on the 15th which got just a few feet off the ground, but ended up 15 feet from the hole to set up an eagle for the 2015 Masters and US Open champion.
“We’ve been here before and we’re not going for the first major, but it is the first Open and I’d be lying if I said I won’t feel plenty of nerves,” added Spieth, who missed out on a play-off at St Andrews in 2015 by a single shot.
Poulter completed a 70 either side of the 14-minute delay caused by torrential downpours which left standing water on several of the greens, the 41-year-old carding 16 pars, one birdie and one bogey.
Scotland’s Richie Ramsay matched Poulter’s 70 to finish two under.
Further down the field. Tommy Fleetwood thanked Southport’s terrible weather after he made the cut in his home Open.
The 26-year-old world number 14 was in danger of missing out on the weekend action in his home town after shooting a disappointing sixover-par 76 in the first round.
But on an afternoon when heavy rain and strong winds made scoring difficult – and took the cut line out to five over – Fleetwood scraped through by carding a oneunder 69.
Those alongside him on five over included Danny Willett, Justin Rose, Lee Westwood, Jason Day and Andy Sullivan.