Scrappy McIlroy hangs tough at Bay Hill

Rory McIlroy. Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Rory McIlroy produced a battling 71 to keep leader Corey Conners in his sights in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

Seeking his first win for 16 months, the world No 8 was off colour with his irons but took just 26 putts as he mixed three bogeys with four bogeys to share third place with Viktor Hovland and Lanto Griffin on seven-under, two shots behind Canadian Conners. Scores

“It was very scrappy,” admitted McIlroy, who missed eight greens. “There were a few misses in there right and left but I know what I have to work on. It was a battling round but I kept myself in the tournament.

“I picked off three of the par-5s, which is good around here. When I put it in trouble I got it out of trouble.

“I hit a few better shots coming down the stretch, but just going to go and work on a couple of things here on the range now. I am still in with a great chance going into the weekend.”

Conners (29) followed his opening 66 with a 69, knocking in a 24 footer for an eagle three at the 16th to lead by a shot from Scotland’s Martin Laird, who shot 67, on nine-under.

Pádraig Harrington, who was briefly hospitalised with kidney stones in Puerto Rico last week, had 32 putts and finished with back to back bogeys for a 74 that left him tied 38th on level par but it was another week to forget for Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell as they missed the cut.

Lowry added a 74 to his opening 75 to finish alongside McDowell, who recovered from his opening 79 with a 70, on five-over-par.

Struggling again on the greens, the reigning Open champion missed eight putts inside 10 feet over the two days to languish near the back of the field (117th of 121) for strokes gained putting.

In a worrying trend for his hopes of Ryder Cup qualification, the Clara man (33) has broken par in just five of his 16 competitive rounds so far this season while McDowell has missed three of his first four cuts.

After finding water twice on the 11th, his second, to run up an early double-bogey six yesterday, the Portrush man responded with five birdies before dropping another shot at the last.