Rory McIlroy remains undefeated in the WGC heading into the final day after a stunning second round
The driver is doing great, Rory! McIlroy produces an incredible shot to reach the 18th hole in the second round of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play – after focusing on his new putter
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Rory McIlroy reached the 18th hole to score a double victory over Denny McCarthy in the second round of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play on Thursday in Austin, Texas.
With the Group 3 game all squared through 17 holes at Austin Country Club, McIlroy hit a drive onto the green on the par-4, 375-yard closing hole, leaving behind a 4-foot eagle putt. McCarthy couldn’t keep up, as his 59-yard approach shot landed 2 yards from the hole, giving him a birdie that wasn’t enough.
“I certainly didn’t expect to fly it on the green,” said McIlroy. “It’s almost one of those, when it’s that far downwind it’s almost like I could have hit a 3 woods to get down the slope to get the slip.
“I imagined the driver landing in the slope and staying about 10, 20 meters short. But like I said, I didn’t think I could fly it on the green.”
The result left McIlroy with a 2-0 record heading into the final day of group play on Friday.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy reached the 18th hole and secured a 2-up victory over Denny McCarthy
McIlroy recorded five birdies, one eagle and no bogeys on Thursday. He rallied after McCarthy had a 3 lead on an eagle on the par-5 sixth hole.
“It wasn’t easy out there,” said McIlroy, who is seeded third in the event. “It’s windy and stormy and tricky. It was good.
“I’m really proud of myself for sticking with that after going up early with three and clawing it back and producing the shots I made the last few holes to finally get the job done.”
Also improving to 2-0 in two rounds were top seed Scottie Scheffler in Group 1, No. 4 Patrick Cantlay and No. 25 Brian Harman.
In Group 4, No. 5 Max Homa in Group 5, No. 6 Xander Schauffele in Group 6, No. 56 Andrew Putnam in Group 7, No. 34 South Korea’s Si Woo Kim in Group 8, No. 32 Jason Day or Australia.
Group 9; No. 10 Tony Finau in Group 10, No. 61 JJ Spaun in Group 11, No. 47 Taylor Montgomery in Group 12, No. 13 Sam Burns in Group 13, No. 46 Australia’s Lucas Herbert in Group 14, No. 15 Cameron Young in Group 15 and No. 43 JT Poston in Group 16.
The group winners will advance to the single-elimination round of 16. World No. 1 Scheffler pulled off a 5-and-4 victory over Swede Alex Noren, with the American winning three consecutive holes on the front nine and four in a row on the back nine.
Cantlay recorded a 4-and-2 victory over South Korea’s KH Lee, sealing the result with an eagle on the par-5 16th hole.
No. 9 Collin Morikawa halved his match with No. 44 Adam Svensson of Canada by making a birdie on the 18th hole. Morikawa has a 1-0-1 score in Group 9, keeping him in second place behind Day.
The result left McIlroy with a 2-0 record heading into the final day of group play on Friday
A sea of golf fans as McIlroy gave a vintage gig Thursday in Austin, Texas
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