Injured McIlroy relieved to keep leaders in sights in Atlanta
Rory McIlroy was in discomfort on the range. Picture © The Fried Egg
Rory McIlroy confessed he was “over the moon” to find himself just three shots off the lead after battling a painful muscle spasm in his back at the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
Bidding for his fourth FedExCup win since 2016, the world number two struggled to the turn in two-over par but dug deep to make four birdies and two bogeys coming home and carded a 70 that left him tied for seventh.
FedExCup leader Scottie Scheffer had an eagle putt in the sixth to go six shots clear of the field.
But he missed it and after mixing a birdie at the 10th with bogeys at the eighth, 11th and 12th, he found water at the 224-yard 15th and three putted for the third time in his round for a triple bogey six.
While he birdied the 17th, it all added up to a one over 71 that left Scheffler in fourth place on nine-under, just two shots better than the injured McIlroy.
Scores
Viktor Hovland shot 68 to share the lead on 10-under with Collin Morikawa , who shot a career low nine-under 61 and Keegan Bradley, who shot 63
McIlroy is only three shots off the pace and he was thanking his lucky stars after an old back injury flared up in the gym on Tuesday and he came close not to making the start.
"When I play a lot of golf, especially the end of the season, I always have to manage my right side,” said McIlroy, who told Sky Sports’ on-course reporter Wayne Riley that he felt something go when was throwing his daughter Poppy around in the pool earlier this week.
“My right side always gets pretty tight, my rib cage, intercostals, lats, like, all the way down, right hip,” McIlroy said after making a bogey six at the 18th, where he had a socket with his third shot from a steep upslope above a bunker.
“On Tuesday morning, I felt a little tight, and I went into my gym at home, and I just sort of foam-rolled and stretched. I went to grab something and my whole right side just completely seized up, spasm.
“So I spent two hours with the physio at home, flew up here, felt a little better, some treatment, then Wednesday morning still my right side was feeling better, and then went into the gym just to do some movements and stuff.
Rory McIlroy grimacing on the range ahead of his first round and title defense at the Tour Championship. Apparently, he injured his back earlier in the week at home. That may be of little solace to wagerers. pic.twitter.com/IQh60u8zA4
— Fried Egg Golf (@the_fried_egg) August 24, 2023
“I was at the bottom of a squat, a body-weight squat, and my whole lower back spasmed, seized up. I couldn't move. I honestly couldn't address the ball this time yesterday. So to get to where I am today is good.
“So, yeah, I mean, I hung in there and I just felt like if I could get through today, it's better than it was yesterday, hopefully, tomorrow's better than it was today, and just sort of try to keep progressing.
“So the fact that I'm only going to be -- whatever it's going to be, like, three or four off the lead, I'm over the moon about.”
He looked in discomfort on the range and dropped an early shot at the par three second and another at the eighth.
But he never let Scheffler get too far away and birdied the 10th with a wedge to two feet.
While he again failed to make the green with a pitch at the short 11th and dropped another shot, he rolled in a 20-footer for birdie at the 13th and a 16-footer for a two at the 224-yard 15th to get back to level from the day.
At that stage, he was lying seventh on seven-under and just four shots behind Scheffler.
But he was soon just two shots off the lead and tied with the world number one after hitting a fairway bunker shot to four feet at the 16th to set up another birdie.
Scheffler triple-bogeyed the 15th, three-putting from 15 feet after pulling his tee shot into the water and found himself two shots behind Morikawa, who shot a career-low nine-under 61 before being joined in a share of the lead by Keegan Bradley, who shot 63.
They were eventually joined on 10-under by Hovland, who shot 68.
But Scheffler, who started the day in 10-under, had a roller-coaster day.
He birdied the first and fifth and had a seven-footer for eagle at the sixth to go six clear.
But he missed the putt, three putted the eighth and followed a birdie at the 10th with a three-putt bogey at the 11th and another dropped shot at the 12th.
He then threw the tournament wide open at the 15th and while he birdied the 17th, he couldn’t convert a 14-footer at the last and ended the day ranked last for putting.
"I'm obviously pretty frustrated with how I played today. I got off to a pretty good start,” Scheffler said.
“And then -- I had a few 3-putts today, which definitely is frustrating, and then I had the bad swing there on the par-3, 15.”
He added: "I guess it's a little bit of a blessing to have a pretty bad day and still be in the tournament. So, yeah, go out there tomorrow and just keep fighting.”
