‘I'm going to need to have it under control' – Rory McIlroy stays in touch heading into weekend

Irish Independent

18-07-2025

After a morning when 2023 champion Brian Harman fired a 65 to grab the clubhouse lead on eight under and Bryson DeChambeau also shot a six-under round, McIlroy could manage only a two-under 69 in perfect conditions that left him five shots off the early pace.
'I've been somewhat close to my best over the first two days in little bits here and there,' McIlroy said after making four birdies and two bogeys in a far better driving display — seven fairways found compared to two on Thursday.
'I'm going to need to have it all under control and have it sort of all firing over the weekend to make a run.'
He added: 'It was a good day. I feel like I maybe could be a couple closer to the lead, but overall, you know, in a decent position.'
With deep rough and bushes lurking, McIlroy admitted it was difficult to get comfortable and go on a run,.
'I don't know if you can ever flow,' he said. 'This golf course is very demanding. It's really intimidating off the tee. I think you see the bunched nature of the leaderboard.
'It's one of these places where you know the holes where you have to make par, you know the holes you have to make birdie, and everyone has to play the golf course the same way.
"'For the most part, you're just trying to pick off your birdies on the on the easy holes, and honestly, hold on with some of these really tough par fours.'
The day could not have started better for the Down man, who drilled a driving iron down the first and confidently rapped in an 18-footer for birdie.
But there were also signs that he was not firing on all cylinders and after struggling with the 'lefts' in round one, when he hit just two fairways, he carved his drive into deep rough right of the par-five second.
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He had to take a penalty drop from the jungle but still managed to save par after firing his third up short of the green from where he pitched to eight feet and made the putt.
He was unfortunate at the short third, where his tee shot rolled back to the edge of a bunker and had no stance for his second.
He had to stand in the sand and grip down the shaft to hit the ball cleanly but shot 18 feet past and dropped a shot.
A birdie at the fourth, where he ripped his drive 350 yards down the middle and made a six foot putt, was just the tonic he needed.
But he wouldn't make another birdie after that until the 12th.
The fifth is a chance but he drove left into sand and left himself 80 feet for birdie from a difficult spot and couldn't get closer than 12 feet after electing to chip from the putting surface.
Back to level for the day, he couldn't take advantage of a 372-yard drive at the long seventh, or hit a short iron inside 15 feet at any of the next four holes.
He finally made a positive move with two birdies in three holes, shaving the hole with a 33-foot eagle putt at the 12th before knocking in a 17 footer at the 14th after another massive drive — 380 yards — left him a three quarter wedge to the hardest hole on the course.
He had to scramble for pars on the next two holes before finishing with a regulation four as heavy rain lashed the course.
But he was still delighted to consign his 2019 missed cut to history and give himself a chance over the weekend.
'I think I let myself down more than I let the fans down,' he said of six years ago.
'It was a hard pill to swallow, but at the same time, I left myself too much to do.
'This time I think I've just gotten better. I know what I need to do to get the best out of myself in an environment like that.
'It was 20 years ago that I played north of Ireland here, and never in my wildest dreams did I think that I'd be coming back as a Grand Slam champion with the support of a nation behind me trying to win an Open Championship.
'So I count myself very grateful and very lucky that I'm in this position, and I'm excited.'
Harman made six birdies in a bogey-free effort to lead by three shots from Ramus Hojgaard (68), Tyrrell Hatton, Robert MacIntyre (66) and Harris English (70) on eight under.