Rory McIlroy’s Strong Performance at US PGA Championship
Rory McIlroy has expressed confidence that his impressive third round at the US PGA Championship has given him a real chance to secure his seventh major title. The 37-year-old golfer managed to card six birdies, resulting in a four-under-par 66. This performance placed him just one stroke behind the leaders as he signed his card.
This achievement came after a challenging opening round where he finished four-over-par, which had initially cast doubt on his chances of winning back-to-back majors. However, McIlroy bounced back with a strong 67 on Friday, showing resilience and determination.
McIlroy was among the early starters at Aronimink Golf Club, teeing off over three-and-a-half hours before the leaders. He briefly moved alongside the four-under mark of overnight leaders Maverick McNealy and Alex Smalley. However, a bogey at the 17th hole caused him to fall back.
As he spoke to the media, McIlroy was unsure about where the lead might stand by the end of the day. He noted that players like Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm were making birdies on the screen behind him. Despite this, McIlroy remained optimistic about his chances for the final day.
“I feel like I still did enough to think I have a chance going into tomorrow,” he said. “If I had played the last three holes at one under instead of one over, I would have got to five under. I sort of thought if I could go out today and get to that, it would make the leaders shoot under par to either be with me or ahead of me. So I didn’t get there. I made a couple of mistakes the last three holes.”
The scoring conditions improved on Saturday, allowing early starters like Justin Rose and Michael Kim to accumulate a string of birdies. McIlroy needed to make a move, and he did just that, positioning himself among the top contenders on a very competitive leaderboard.
Looking ahead, McIlroy plans to follow some of the afternoon action but also has other activities to attend to. “I’ll watch a little bit of it,” he said. “I’ll go back to the house and put the feet up. I started Batman: The Dark Knight last night, so I’ll try and finish that. That’s one of my go-tos to try to forget about things. I’ll be curious just to see how the leaders go this afternoon. The wind was whipping at the end. We’ll see if it continues to blow as hard as that. I’d certainly like it to blow as hard as that as the afternoon goes on, but we’ll see.”
Key Highlights from McIlroy’s Performance
- McIlroy carded six birdies in his third round, achieving a four-under-par 66.
- His performance placed him one stroke behind the leaders, giving him a realistic chance to win.
- The Northern Irishman faced challenges in the first two days but showed resilience with a strong 67 on Friday.
- Despite a bogey at the 17th hole, McIlroy remains confident about his chances for the final day.
- He acknowledged making a few mistakes in the last three holes, which cost him some strokes.
- The improved scoring conditions on Saturday allowed early starters to accumulate birdies.
- McIlroy plans to watch some of the afternoon action while also enjoying a movie at home.
