McIlroy defies back pain to stay in SA Open hunt
>> JOHANNESBURG: World No.2 Rory McIlroy defied severe back pain to fire a second-round 68 on Friday and trail South African Open leader Graeme Storm by three shots.
McIlroy admitted after his heroic trek around the Glendower Golf Club near Johannesburg that he considered withdrawing from the European Tour event.
“I thought about pulling out before teeing off today [Friday],” the 27-year-old from Northern Ireland told reporters.
“I tweaked my back somehow and was not very comfortable playing the first few shots of my second round.”
McIlroy, second in the world golf order behind Australian Jason Day, carded a four-under 68 despite bogeying the final two holes.
A rollercoaster round for the fourtime major winner included an eagle, seven birdies, six pars, three bogeys and a double bogey.
At one stage during the second day, McIlroy trailed 38-year-old Englishman Storm by nine strokes, then played eight holes from the eighth in eight under.
After a par at 16, McIlroy dropped a shot at 17 and another at 18 having been poised to overtake one-time European Tour winner Storm.
The Englishman carded a course record-equalling 63 for a two-round total of 132 having started with a 69 over the 7,100-yard parkland track.
South Africans Trevor Fisher junior (68) and Jbe Kruger (67) and American Peter Uihlein (64) share second place on 134, two shots off the pace.
McIlroy, English pair Laurie Canter (66) and Jordan Smith (66), Scot David Drysdale (65) and South African Keith Horne (69) are all one stroke further back on 135.
A late afternoon storm halted play for the day with a few golfers still on the course, but none were threatening to alter the top of the leaderboard.