Rory McIlroy nonetheless believes he has “half an opportunity” of profitable The Masters and finishing the Grand Slam regardless of a birdie-less five-over 77 leaving him 10 photographs of the midway lead and his swing feeling “horrific” late in his second spherical.
The world No 2 carded three bogeys and a double bogey at a wind-ravaged Augusta Nationwide on Friday, dropping two photographs at 11 as he discovered the water, to slide to 4 over in a event that Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa and Bryson DeChambeau lead on six underneath.
McIlroy mentioned afterwards he was content material simply to make the minimize – these at seven over or worse missed out on the weekend – however is refusing to rule out his hopes of securing a primary main title since 2014.
The Northern Irishman mentioned: “I nonetheless suppose I can exit tomorrow and shoot a low one, get again into pink numbers, and have half an opportunity going into Sunday.
“I received from 10 again in Dubai initially of the 12 months. However clearly the Dubai Desert Traditional and the Masters are two very totally different golf tournaments. We’ll see. My golf swing felt horrific for the final six or seven holes, simply from hitting round. Particularly that eleventh gap. I felt prefer it took an hour to play that gap.”
Rory: I attempted to hold in there as greatest I may
McIlroy added: “It was cease and begin, onerous to get right into a rhythm with the circumstances and clearly how gradual the play was as nicely. It was a tricky day, a extremely powerful day, onerous to make a rating.
“I felt like I did okay. Even to simply to par the final 4 holes and get within the clubhouse and have a tee time tomorrow, I am fairly proud of.
“Scoring was very troublesome. A lot of the area could not actually get something going. It was only a matter of attempting to hold in there as greatest you can. Mentally it is a grind since you simply must attempt to commit as greatest you possibly can to the shot that you just’re attempting to play.
“One second you may have a shot that is enjoying 150 yards, after which if the wind does one thing totally different, the shot might be enjoying 180. It might be a 30-yard distinction.
“It’s a must to decide to attempting to play the best shot, however you then additionally must hit it on the proper time as nicely, so it is fairly tough.”
Rahm: As onerous a golf course as I’ve seen in a really very long time
Defending champion Jon Rahm shot a four-over 76 to make the minimize on 5 over and, like McIlroy, mentioned he struggled along with his swing.
“It is a very unhealthy day to not be snug with the swing, that is for positive. I used to be preventing all of it day, by no means snug,” mentioned the Spaniard, seeking to change into the primary back-to-back winner of The Masters since Tiger Woods.
“I did not give myself plenty of possibilities, and it was a final ditch effort on the finish to try to make the minimize. Fortunately I used to be profitable in doing so. I’ve obtained plenty of work to do if I need to have an opportunity on Sunday.
On the gusty circumstances, Rahm added: “A pair instances I used to be questioning why we had been on the market, particularly once I obtained to 18 and noticed the entire entrance of the inexperienced simply stuffed with sand.
“I perceive they need us to complete [but] I can think about they had been very near calling it a number of instances, particularly once we had been on the eleventh inexperienced.
“We had been getting these huge gusts each couple of minutes or so. It was extraordinarily troublesome. It is about as onerous a golf course as I’ve seen in a really very long time.”
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