With a bounce in his step, Rory McIlroy took confident strides toward exorcising his major championship demons in a record-shattering performance Friday in the second-round of the U.S. Open.
Firing a 5-under-par 66, the 22-year-old from Northern Ireland had a second straight day of brilliant ball-striking at Congressional Country Club, setting the 36-hole scoring record in the Open’s 111th edition. His 131 after two rounds bettered by a stroke the mark set by Ricky Barnes, in 2009 at Bethpage Black.
“I’m feeling good, feeling very good,” McIlroy said. “It’s funny to me, you know, it feels quite simple.”
What made McIlroy’s spectacular day more amazing was that it could have been better. A double bogey at No. 18 was his only misstep in the first two rounds at Congressional’s sprawling Blue Course, set up Friday at 7,334 yards.
Before that, McIlroy became the first player in Open history to reach 13-under-par, when he rolled in a 15-footer for birdie at No. 17. The score was one better than Tiger Woods’ historic 12-under at Pebble Beach in 2000 and first achieved by Gil Morgan at the same course in 1992.
“I only knew the lowest winning score,” McIlroy said, referring to Woods’ feat. “I didn’t know if anyone had got lower than 12 [under] or whatever.”
McIlroy has a six-shot lead over Korea’s Y.E. Yang and a nine-stroke bulge on Spain’s Sergio Garcia and Americans Robert Garrigus, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, and Brandt Snedeker.
“He’s striking it flawlessly and putted great,” said Phil Mickelson (143), McIlroy’s playing partner. “His first two rounds were very impressive.”
McIlroy electrified Congressional on Friday morning when he threw a wedge to the back fringe at No. 8. The ball checked and rolled 15 feet into the hole for an eagle from 114 yards out. McIlroy raised both arms and threw back his head in surprise.
“It was actually an awkward yardage,” McIlroy said. “I had to take 20 yards off the wedge, so I just gripped on it and hit a little half shot there, and it still pitched past the hole … It’s always a bonus when you hole it from the fairway. There’s a bit of skill involved, but there’s also a little bit of luck in there as well.”
With the crowd building as his round progressed, McIlroy enjoyed huge ovations on the back nine, as he made three birdies in four holes. At No. 14, Mcilroy hit a 6-iron to within six feet and made the downhill putt. At No. 16, a par 5 that played to 546 yards on Friday, McIlroy hit a brilliant 4-iron to within 10 feet. His eagle putt slid past the cup as he settled for birdie. At No. 17, McIlroy threw a 7-iron to the heavens from 175 yards out. The ball stopped 15 feet short and McIlroy converted to go 13-under.
With that, a man stood in the stands and announced, “You just saw history, kids.”
“These records, they’re nice, but they don’t really mean anything until the end of the tournament,” McIlroy said. “If I can look back on this tournament with a trophy in my hand and look back at the records, that would be nice.”
But McIlroy gave some of it back on No. 18, where he missed the fairway left. In trampled grass, he had a good lie and an unobstructed path to the peninsula green. But McIlroy hooked his shot short and left, into the water.
“I was just trying to play it out to the front right portion of the green,” McIlroy said. “And I just got a little bit of grass caught between the club face and the ball. The club turned over a bit and that’s really — that was all that happened.”
Finishing at 1 p.m. on Friday, McIlroy will have more than 24 hours to consider his huge advantage. He held a four-stroke lead heading into the final round two months ago at the Masters before he collapsed, shooting an 80. He also contended at last year’s British Open and PGA, finishing third in both.
After his dreadful Sunday at Augusta, McIlroy said he realized he needed an attitude adjustment.
“I needed to be a little more cocky, a little more arrogant on the golf course, and think a little bit more about myself, which I’ve tried to incorporate a little bit, just on the golf course,” McIlroy said. “When I get myself in these positions, I have to really make sure that I’m – that I don’t get ahead of myself and I don’t play defensively.”
As for his plans on Friday, McIlroy said he would go see a movie, “Hangover Part II,” then get to bed early.
“I put myself in a great position going into the weekend,” McIlroy said. “But I know more than probably anyone else what can happen. So I’ve got to stay really focused and try and finish this thing off.”
Notes: McIlroy is just the fifth player to reach double-digits under par in the Open. The others are Woods, Barnes, Morgan, Jim Furyk (2003) and the fastest, doing it in 26 holes. The previous fastest to double digits in an Open was Morgan, who needed 39 holes … McIlroy is the lowest in relation to par after 36 holes. The previous best was 8-under by Woods and Barnes.
