A bogey-free effort over his final 11 holes Friday has vaulted Rory McIlroy into contention at the 2023 PGA Championship. The four-time major winner, who has been stuck without a fifth since 2014, shot 3 under across those aforementioned holes to finish with a 69 in Round 2 and enter the clubhouse five strokes back of co-leaders Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland and Corey Conners (-5).
The world No. 3, seeking his third Wanamaker Trophy, once again fell behind the eight ball early. That forced him to play catch up during a surprisingly tame and ultimately wet afternoon in Rochester, New York.
“It was a bit of a grind again,” McIlroy said after the round. “Similar to yesterday, didn’t hit too many fairways and had to score as best that I could. I got lucky … rode my luck a little bit. But more of the same. Just pretty erratic off the tee and need to tighten it up over the weekend.”
Beginning his round on the more difficult front side, McIlroy made par on the first five holes. Finding the water lining the fairway on the difficult par-4 6th, the 34-year-old did well to drop only a single stroke. Another water ball off the tee and another bogey followed immediately on the 7th.
McIlroy’s shoulders were slumped with mojo was nowhere to be seen. Similar to Round 1 when he holed a putt from off the green, his flat stick suddenly became a lightning rod. Connecting from distance on the par-4 9th for his first par breaker of the afternoon, McIlroy turned in 36.
He nearly added another birdie from close range on the accessible 10th, but his effort would race by the high side. This would become a theme in the immediate holes as McIlroy set himself up for realistic birdie bids on the next three only to fail in each instance.
The long-hitting Northern Irishman tacked on a birdie on the drivable par-4 14th then played the difficult closing stretch of Oak Hill in impressive fashion. Three pars set the table for a birdie on McIlroy’s last in what can only be described as a strong yet underwhelming performance thus far.
McIlroy has brought neither heat, momentum nor vintage Rory moments to this PGA Championship. Despite his mundane play, he sits T11 entering Moving Day with a clear opportunity to pour it on and put pressure on the leaders this weekend.