Gory McIlroy
World No.4 has it all to do after putting horror show leaves him nine shots adrift
RORY McILROY suffered a putting nightmare in a birdie-free opening round of 74 at the USPGA. On a scorching day in New Jersey the world No.4 found his putter stone cold as he missed a ridiculous 13 birdie chances – 11 from within 20 feet. That saw the Ulsterman finish six shots behind playing partner Jason Day – and nine behind clubhouse leader Jimmy Walker. After his worst start to this tournament double champion McIlroy is already facing a battle to make the cut today in the last Major of the season. He said: “I really struggled on the greens today. “I had a couple of chances early which I didn’t convert and I was always trying to chase it from there. It just wasn’t my day. “I am happy with my play tee to green. On the greens it is a different story. “There were a couple of putts from quite a short distance that I left short. That’s the thing that sort of surprised me. They look much quicker than they are. “So I just need to be a little bit more aggressive, a bit more free-flowing with my stroke.” McIlroy, who planned to return to the practice putting green last night, also failed to make a birdie in his third-round 77 at The Masters. His hopes of winning his first Major for two years already seem over – and he admitted his first priority was to make the cut before forecasted storms arrive tonight. He said: “First and foremost, I have to play a good round to get into the weekend tomorrow. I’ll try to shoot something in the mid 60s and get myself back into it. “I know my game is there, to keep giving myself chances. Hopefully I’m not shut out. I’ll stay as patient as I can and hopefully turn it around.”
Starting at 8.30am before the heat of the day on the 10th tee, McIlroy had his chances to get off to a flying start.
But he missed 11-foot birdie putts on 10 and 11 before needing a seven-foot par saver on the short 12th after finding a greenside bunker off the tee.
But after crushing a 326-yard drive into the middle of the 13th fairway McIlroy failed to find the green with a wedge from 117 yards and this time missed his par putt after chipping up to eight feet.
He made another bogey at 14 after finding a greenside bunker from the rough and two-putting from 22 feet.
And after missing a 20-foot birdie chance at 15 he played a horrible hole at the short 16th when he pulled his tee shot into a greenside bunker 46 feet from the pin – and then played his sand shot 36 feet past.
McIlroy was then three over par after seven holes.
Baltusrol has its only two parfives together at the end of the back nine.
The 17th is a massive 649 yards but the Ulsterman played it perfectly with three precise shots only to miss his six-foot birdie putt.
Playing partner Phil Mickelson made the same par score after playing his second shot from the 15th tee.
The 18th is only 548 yards but McIlroy made it even longer by pushing his tee shot into the crowd down the right.
He clubbed a 3-wood from a good lie on to the bank around the green and chipped up to 16 feet but missed another birdie.
Trying to start afresh on the first the four-time Major winner smashed a 360-yard drive down the fairway but missed his 20-foot birdie putt.
It got worse at No.2 when he three-putted from 42 feet and then missed from 18 feet for a birdie on No.3.
McIlroy seemed set to finally pick up a shot when he arrowed his tee shot at No.4 to six feet but saw his putt lip out and he missed more birdie chances in all of his final four holes.
Mickelson started The Open a fortnight ago with a brilliant 63 but was four over after 11 holes here before posting three closing birdies for a 71.
He added: “I’m proud that I hung in there and got three back.
“If I go out tomorrow and just play a good round I think I can shoot mid 60s and get back in it and that’s the goal.”
Meanwhile, after making only one bogey in his 68 world No.1 Day said: “I’m pretty pleased.”