McIlroy takes 2-shot lead in Mexico
MEXICO CITY – Rory McIlroy switched back to his old putter for the Mexico Championship and it made a world of difference. It helps that he’s still hitting the ball like the No. 1 player in the world.
McIlroy ripped a 4-iron from 275 yards into the thin air at Chapultepec to 15 feet for eagle on his second hole Thursday, made five more birdies and opened the Mexico Championship with a 6-under 65 for a two-shot lead.
This is the only World Golf Championship that McIlroy hasn’t won as he tries to join Dustin Johnson as the only players to win all four of them.
Justin Thomas and Bubba Watson were at 67.
Abraham Ancer of Mexico got some of the biggest cheers, especially when he ran off three straight birdies to overcome a rough start. He opened with a 70.
The course, at about 7,800 feet above sea level, is ideal for McIlroy the way he launched the ball.
But this was about his putting. He took only 26 putts and ranked No. 4 in the key putting statistic for the round.
He attributes that to his regular 34inch putter. A week ago at Riviera, he tried a 35-inch putter to help get his shoulder and elbow in a better position. But he said it hurt with lining up the putts, and it cost him. McIlroy was tied for the 54-hole lead and shot 73 in the final round – including a triple bogey on the fifth hole – and tied for fifth
“It didn’t quite work out the way I want it to, so I went back to the 34-inch,” he said. “I just felt a little bit more comfortable today and was seeing my lines a little bit better. And yeah, it was a good day.”
As for swing? Efficient as ever. The best example of his advantage was the par-5 15th hole early in his round. U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland, who hits low-trajectory bullets, caught it a little high on the face of the club and it came out low with little spin. McIlroy launched a rocket and was 55 yards past him.
McIlroy hit 9-iron from 192 yards that set up a two-putt birdie. It was like that all day.
“I think with the fairways being so soft, as well, on a coule of the par 5s I teed it up high and sort of launched it,” he said. “And then even the drive on the eighth hole, getting it up and over the trees, I hit a 9-iron in there, where Gary and Tommy (Fleetwood) were hitting 6’s in. So that’s a pretty big difference.”
Woodland was even with him until a few mistakes on the front nine sent him to a 70. He’s not about to change his game for one week in high altitude.
“Rory likes to hit it up in the air,” Woodland said.
“This golf course … I’m surprised he hasn’t won here because it suits up perfectly for him.”
McIlroy played nicely last year, finishing at 16-under 268, and lost by five shots to Dustin Johnson.
PGA Tour
RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – Kyle Stanley shot an 8-under 64 to take a two-stroke lead in the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open.
With most of the top players in the world playing in the World Golf Championship event in Mexico, Stanley had nine birdies and a bogey in windy afternoon conditions at Coco Beach Golf & Country Club.
“Just kind of caught a hot Stanley said.
“Ball-striking was pretty good and felt like I drove it well, too. Just a pretty solid round of golf. Kind of made my fair share of putts. Got off to a really nice start, birdieing my first three out of the gate. Pretty windy out there, so I’m really happy with the round.” putter,”
The two-time PGA Tour winner followed his opening birdie burst with another birdie on the par-5 fifth.
He bogeyed the par-3 eighth, then birdied the next four and the par-5 15th.
“To be honest, I really haven’t been playing that well the past month or so,” Stanley said.
“I really struggled with my ball-striking last week in L.A., but felt like I putted pretty well.
“Just tried to clean up a few things in my swing and continue with some good putting prep leading into today.”
Peter Uihlein, Josh Teater, Emiliano Grillo, Chris Couch, Henrik Norlander and Rhein Gibson shot 66.
And 2013 winner Scott Brown, Martin Laird, Jay McLuen, MJ Daffue, Wes Roach and Julian Etulain all followed at 67.
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