Rory McIlroy endured a rare bad day on and around the greens and shot his highest round at Quail Hollow for eight years to fall 13 shots behind Alex Fitzpatrick in the Truist Championship.
As the English rookie continued his hot run of form and carded a seven under 64 to lead by a shot from Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan and by two from the in-form Cameron Young (63) on 14-under, McIlroy lost more than five shots to the field on and around the greens.
He made six bogeys - including four in a row from the 10th - and carded a four over 75 to slip to 37th on one under at a venue where he's won four times.
It was his second-highest score in 48 rounds at the Charlotte venue and his highest since he signed for a second-round 76 in 2018.
In contrast, Fitzpatrick, who only earned his PGA Tour card two weeks ago when he teamed with his brother Matt to win the Zurich Classic, credited being around his sibling for his seamless transition to the PGA Tour
“I feel like he’s been and done everything that I want to do in the game — whether that’s Ryder Cup and win majors,” said Alex, who tied for ninth last week at Doral, where Young won the Cadillac Championship by six shots to add to his win in the Players at Sawgrass.
“So having him being around and me being there for all of that, I felt like I got a really good sense of what it takes and what the atmosphere is like.”
Young might be two shots off the lead, but he's the man to beat.
He needed to play the final two holes in two under to break McIlroy's 11-year-old course record of 10-under 61, but parred the 17th and bogeyed the last.
“I’m playing great,” Young said. “There is not a ton going on in my head, which is, I think, a very good thing. There is all kinds of stuff, but it’s nothing complicated.
“I’m thinking about shots, and I’m thinking about my execution, and that’s mainly where my head is at.”
At the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, Mark Hubbard (36) holds a one-shot lead over Aaron Rai as he seeks his first PGA Tour win.
Five-time Major winner Brooks Koepka is also showing form ahead of the US PGA at Aronimink next week after he shot a seven under 64 - his lowest round since returning to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf in January - to share seventh on 11 under, just five shots off the lead.
“Like I said, the main focus is putting,” Koepka said. “I'll go right back to that putting green and try to make sure that I guess whatever I might have found today hopefully can bleed over and kind of continue into next week and then just build that momentum, because I think the one thing that's really been lacking is just confidence.”
Seamus Power, meanwhile, hit just three fairways in a one-over 72 to share 70th on one under.
On the LPGA Tour, Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul shot a two-under 70 to lead the Mizuho Americas Open by two shots from France’s Celine Boutier on ten under at Mountain Ridge Country Club in New Jersey.
On the PGA Tour Champions, Padraig Harrington showed form ahead of next week’s US PGA, carding a bogey-free, six-under 66 in the Insperity Invitational at The Woodlands in Texas.
At eight under, he was up to joint fifth, just four shots behind Boo Weekley, who also shot 66 to head Ernie Els by a shot on 12 under.
Darren Clarke was joint 12th in seven under after a 69.
Article Link: McIlroy slips out of contention as Fitzpatrick hits the front at Quail Hollow - News - Irish Golf Desk