McIlroy playing catch up as Players heads into Monday (at least)
The 17th at TPC Sawgrass. Picture: Craig O’Neal
RORY MCILROY’s indifferent wedge play left him playing catch up again as the weather-delayed Players Championship headed for at least a Monday finish at TPC Sawgrass.
The world number six birdied the third and fourth to get to within four shots of the lead on two-under-par.
But as steady rain softened the course and made controlling spin a valuable skill, McIlroy bogeyed the sixth, 10th and 14th to slip to tied 97th alongside Shane Lowry one one-over when play was suspended due to unplayable conditions.
Former Ryder Cup skipper Paul McGinley cannot understand why McIlroy is struggling to sort out this crucial aspect of the game.
“With Trackman and other devices nowadays, you have the ability to get instant feedback on every shot that you hit,” the Dubliner said. “It shouldn’t be as difficult to get this problem solved as it looks to be.
“There are so many good players around the game nowadays that you can’t spot them three or four shots (every week) by not hitting your short irons as well as you should be.
“His driving is still a real strength of his game and his putting has improved dramatically thanks to Brad Faxon and he’s right up there with the best putters.
“His chipping and his bunker play is excellent. So the bones are there to really escalate and start winning major championships again.
“The wedge game is the missing ingredient and that ability as well when things get difficult to grind out a score.
“Things are not always going to go your way, and there is no doubt that he dropped the head last week in difficult conditions (at Bay Hill).”
Pointing to Jordan Spieth, who was struggling and yet two-under-par through 16 holes, McGinley said: “That ability to grind out a score when you’re not on your game, it’s a skill.”
As if to illustrate McIlroy’s loss of strokes to the field with short irons, Brice Garnett holed out from 96 yards for eagle two at the fourth to tie for the lead with overnight leaders Tommy Fleetwood and Tom Hoge on six-under before play was suspended for the day.
Séamus Power will resume on one-under with four holes to play, tied 59th after he hit a 238-yard approach to 13 feet at the 527-yard second and rolled in the eagle putt.
Resuming on the 13th, the West Waterford man (35) three-putted the 182-yard par-three from 51 feet, birdied the infamous 17th from 19 feet but then missed the green and bogeyed the 18th to turn one-over before that eagle repaired the damage.
Play was suspended at 11.15 am local time due to unplayable conditions and eventually suspended for the day after the course received two-and-a-half inches of rain in 24 hours.
A Tuesday finish is now a threat with another storm system set to lash the course early today.
Hennie du Plessis during day 1 of the MyGolfLife Open hosted by Pecanwood at Pecanwood Golf & Country Club on March 10, 2022 in Hartbeespoort, South Africa. Photo by Tyrone Winfield/Sunshine Tour/Gallo Images
Meanwhile, Hennie du Plessis added a 65 to his opening 62 to lead the MyGolfLife Open hosted by Pecanwood by a shot on 17 under par from Spanish duo Nacho Elvira and Pablo Larrazábal and South Africa’s Tristen Strydom in South Africa.
Clandeboye’s Jonathan Caldwell followed his opening 66 with a 77 to miss the six-under cut by five shots after a bad day from the tee.
“It’s pretty easy if you drive it close to the fairway, which I didn’t, unfortunately,” Caldwell said. “I didn’t have a good warm-up and hit some bad tee shots in the first few holes, made some bad numbers and that was it.
“The ball is going a long way and there’s ample room to drive it if you’re driving it well and lots of short irons. It’s there for the taking but I won’t be playing.
“There is always next week so I will do some work over the weekend and hopefully find what I had yesterday.”
