McIlroy upbeat despite struggles as Power continues hot form with 66 at Sea Island
Rory McIlroy hits his provisional tee shot on the 10th hole during the second round at the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. on Friday, June 17, 2022. (Robert Beck/USGA)
Seamus Power continued his hot streak with an opening 66 in the RSM Classic as Rory McIlroy insisted there was no need to panic after falling six strokes behind Matt Fitzpatrick in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
The world number one wants to sew up his fourth Harry Vardon Trophy by winning for the third time at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
But after playing his first eight holes in three-under par, the Co Down man found just two fairways in his last 10 holes and signed for a one-under 71 that left him tied for 22nd, six shots behind US Open champion Fitzpatrick as second-ranked Ryan Fox shot 73.
"Certainly not what I was hoping for," McIlroy said after struggling with a hook on the back nine. "Three-under through eight holes, thinking a solid start with some chances coming up and just started to drive the ball a little crooked on the back nine.
"Obviously I've had three weeks off since the CJ Cup, so I'm trying to knock the rust off a little bit there. There was enough good stuff in there. I made five birdies and hit some decent shots. I just need to be a little tidier tomorrow.
"It's not far away. It's not as if there's anything that I need to drastically work on. Thankfully there's three rounds left. So go out and shoot a good one tomorrow and be ready for the weekend."
Fitzpatrick opened with five straight birdies en route to a seven-under 65 for a share of the lead with Tyrrell Hatton, one ahead of Sweden's Alex Noren.
He's ranked third in the standings behind McIlroy and Fox, but he would deny them the Harry Vardon Trophy if their first-round positions remain unchanged.
"The biggest thing I'm so pleased about today is hitting 17 greens," Fitzpatrick said. "The one I missed, I was a complete idiot, so that was the big thing for me. I kept giving myself chances and putted really well."
Shane Lowry needs to win if he's to top the rankings, but the Offaly man mixed five birdies with four bogeys and a double bogey at the short fourth in a 73 that left him tied 33rd with Fox on one-over.
“I was struggling early on and I put that down to having a few weeks off but then it was nice to birdie the last, that helps,” Lowry said. “It’s tough out there if you don’t find fairways as the rough is up and the greens are pretty hard, so hopefully that’s my poor round for the week.”
On the PGA TOUR, Power had a stand-in caddie for the RSM Classic at Sea Island and continued his stellar run of form with a four-under 66 that left him tied for 17th.
The West Waterford man is without regular caddie Simon Keelan, who will return in the New Year after he's had downtime with his family and renewed his visa. But Power showed no ill effects as he made six birdies in a four-under-par 66 at the Seaside Course as former world amateur number one Cole Hammer (23) made nine birdies in an eight-under 64 on the Plantation Course to lead by a shot from Ben Griffin.
Power is now 41-under for his last 9 rounds — 65, 65, 65, 70, 67, 68, 63, 68, 66.
Meanwhile, Leona Maguire birdied her last two holes to open with a three-under 69 in the $7 million CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon in Florida.
The Co Cavan star was tied for 13th in the clubhouse, three shots behind American Danielle Kang and Thailand's Pajaree Anannarukarn, who carded 66s in the race for a record $2 million payday — the biggest in the history of women’s professional golf.
