The old term of shooting the lights out was given new meaning in the Travelers championship as Rory McIlroy discovered: in adding a second round 64 to his opening 68 to reach the midpoint of the $20 million elevated PGA Tour stop at Cromwell in Connecticut on eight-under-par 132, the world number three found he was still cast into playing a game of catch-up.
In a birdie-fest of a tournament, American Denny McCarthy – still seeking his breakthrough win on the US circuit – claimed the clubhouse lead on 15-under-par 125, after an impressive round which started slowly (one over through eight) before igniting as he claimed eight birdies in adding a 65 to his opening 60.
McIlroy had enjoyed a career-first hole-in-one on the eighth hole of his opening round but the par 3 got payback big time in the second round as he ran up a double-bogey five there, on what was his penultimate hole, the only speed bump in a round in which he claimed eight birdies – going through nine holes in 30 – to at least get on to the fringes of contending.
Playing for a fourth straight week, and having contended in back-to-back weeks in the Canadian and US Opens without actually getting over the line, McIlroy was in sizzling form for much of his round and was eight-under on his scorecard when he got to the eighth, his penultimate hole. However, he put the tee shot into the water hazard and ran up a damaging five.
As McIlroy explained it, “I thought if I just hit a really good 8 iron I would get it to pitch pretty much between the front edge of the green and he hole. It just got hit by a little bit of wind, it just switched on us. I hit a pretty good shot. I just misjudged the wind a little bit and it came up short, the one place you couldn’t miss on that hole.”
He added: “Everything was just a little bit better today. I played more solid, gave myself more opportunities, (and) eradicated most of the mistakes I made yesterday.”
Séamus Power, meanwhile, carded a second round 68 to add to his opening 69 to reach the halfway point on three-under-par 137.
McCarthy’s slow start – a bogey on the second and only negated by a birdie on the eighth as he turned in level-par 35 – gained momentum as the round progressed, a birdie on the 10th followed by a hat-trick of birdies from the 13th and then a closing birdie on the 18th. “I just stayed really patient until I found a nice groove,” said McCarthy.
Among those set to miss the weekend were Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood, who each reached the midpoint on 138.
In the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the second of five Majors on the women’s circuit, China’s Xiyu Lin followed up her opening round 67 with a 71 to reach the midpoint on four-under-par 138 at Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey. Lin led by one shot from South Africa’s Lee Ann Price on 139, with China’s Ruoning Yin a shot further back on two-under 140.
On a wet, cool day which caused issues for players and caddies, world number one Jin Young Ko described the difficulty: “It’s really hard to keep my grips and gloves (dry). I prepared three gloves before the round, but every glove is like a waterproof glove.”
Leona Maguire was among the second wave of players, as – fresh off a win in the Meijer Classic – the Cavan golfer sought to add a breakthrough Major to her CV having opened with a fine 69.
In the BMW International Open in Munich on the DP World Tour, Tom McKibbin – winner of his maiden event in the Porsche European Open a fortnight ago – shot a second round 83 for 151 to miss the cut, with New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier assuming the 36-holes lead on 135. John Murphy (82-81) also missed the cut.
