McIlroy healthy enough to take Mexico City lead
MEXICO CITY — Sore ribs or sore stomach — it doesn’t seem to matter to Rory McIlroy. After being gone for seven weeks, he took a twoshot lead into the weekend at the Mexico Championship with a chance to return to No. 1 in the world.
McIlroy holed out from 156 yards for eagle on the 14th hole, part of a three- hole stretch Friday when he seized control at Chapultepec Golf Club. McIlroy missed putts inside six feet on his last three holes — one for par, two for birdie — and still shot a 6-under-par 65.
“Look, I’m in a great position,” McIlroy said. “But I felt like I could have been a few more ahead.”
He got 14 hours of sleep to help overcome a stomach virus and said he was feeling a little better. His game looked better than ever, though — McIlroy was at 9- under- par 133, two shots ahead of Phil Mickelson ( 68), Justin Thomas ( 66) and Ross Fisher (68).
Mickelson will play as part of the final group on a weekend for the first time since his runner- up finish to Henrik Stenson at Royal Troon in the British Open last summer. And he got there without his longtime caddie, Jim “Bones” Mackay, who fell ill on the fourth hole of the second round and turned the bag over to Mickelson’s younger brother, Tim.
Thomas, who won the opening two events of the year in Hawaii, had seven birdies and three bogeys over his final 13 holes Friday.
McIlroy is competing for the first time since losing a playoff Jan. 15 in South Africa. He was diagnosed with a hairline fracture of his rib the next day and missed four tournaments on his schedule to make sure it healed properly. There seems to be little debate about that.
He showed that blend of power and balance in the thin air of Mexico City’s high elevation and struck his irons close for much of the day. His longest birdie putt was 12 feet, and McIlroy had reason to lament the ones that got away — he missed four putts from six feet or closer.
“I just felt like I had a bit more energy. I had a bit more pep in my step,” McIlroy said. “I wasn’t just trying to get through the round today, I was trying to build on the score that I had, and it was nice to feel like that again.”
He wasn’t alone in missing short putts.
Dustin Johnson, in his debut tournament at No. 1, still watched a number of putts wiggle to the hole on the poa greens, and a few more went in. He birdied three of his last four holes for a 66 and was among those just three shots behind and very much in the picture at this World Golf Championship.
Park holds slim lead over three in Singapore
SINGAPORE — Inbee Park birdied the final hole for a 5-under 67 and a one-stroke lead over Ariya Jutanugarn, Hur Mi-Jung and Michelle Wie at the HSBC Women’s Champions tournament.
Park made a double bogey on the 12th hole, her only blemish in two rounds at Sentosa, and rebounded with birdies on 14 and 18. The Olympic champion was at 10-under 134 total.
Wie followed her opening 66 with a bogey-free 69, Hur shot 67 and Jutanugarn had a 68. Top-ranked Lydia Ko (68) was at 7 under.
Jamieson goes low; Bjork also in first
PRETORIA, South Africa — Scotland’s Scott Jamieson shot a 6-under 65 for a share of the Tshwane Open lead with Sweden’s Alexander Bjork.
Bjork had a 67 to match Jamieson at 10-under 132 at Pretoria Country Club, while England’s James Morrison was a stroke back after a 66.