A LOW BLOW
Rory slips away but Shane’s in PGA hunt
IT will be four years without a major for Rory Mcilroy after he fell miles behind the leaders in the USPGA last night.
Mcilroy (left) was some 11 shots behind Brooks Koepka on -2 after his third round in a tie for 43rd but Shane Lowry stormed into the top five at Bellarive.
RORY MCILROY conjured a magical chip-in birdie to stay in the game at the US PGA.
The flat Ulsterman was flirting with the cut line in his rain-delayed second round after making only one birdie in his previous 22 holes at the Bellerive Country Club.
And the world No.5 was in serious danger of running up a big number at the par four No.14, after yet another poor short iron shot saw him miss the green from only 151 yards.
But from a bad lie in thick rough, the four-time Major champion produced a superb flop shot from 12 yards which curled into the cup to spark enormous celebrations from the thrilled crowd in St Louis.
Mcilroy, who had been on one under par, picked up another shot at the 17th to card a 67, despite struggling with his swing.
He said: “The 14th gave me some momentum.
“It seemed like the only way I was going to make birdie out there was either to hit it to tap-in range or chip in.
“It was sort of an uneventful round overall, apart from that I had the chip-in on 14, after not a great iron shot.
“I didn’t have my best stuff this morning.
“I only hit one green in the last six holes, but I still managed to play them in twounder par.
“I sort of hung in there. I did what I needed to do. I felt like the cut was going to be one under. It ended up being even.
“But it was nice to shoot three under this morning and get in at least a little closer.
“I need to tighten up my iron, play a little bit.”
Mcilroy’s playing partner Tiger Woods (left) got on a roll on Friday afternoon, as he made three birdies in his opening seven holes.
And he picked up another shot at the eighth in his first hole yesterday morning.
But bogeys at holes 10 and 12 stopped his charge – and the American had to settle for a 66. Woods said: “I missed two short ones there, from six to eight feet – and that basically stemmed my momentum a little bit.”
After 36 holes, there were 22 players within six shots of leader Gary Woodland, but Sergio Garcia was heading home early after missing his fifth consecutive cut in a Major.
The Spaniard (right) has played in eight Ryder Cups but is now reliant on a wildcard to play in Paris next month.
European Ryder Cup team captain Thomas Bjorn said: “Sergio knows what he needs to do and he knows he needs to get out there.
“He has a lot of stuff with him – credibility and Ryder Cup history – which speaks a lot in his favour. We would all love to see him playing for us in France and we know what he brings to the team.
“But the one thing I always say is that the Ryder Cup is a great place to be if you are playing really well.
“I have been there once myself at a time when I wasn’t playing particularly well.
“It was a horrible place to be – because everything is on you, all that pressure.
“I think we are great as golfers, with all that pressure, when we are on good form.
“But when you have all that pressure and you are not quite there, it is an uncomfortable place.”