Rory McIlroy insists he is still in the running to claim back-to-back major titles after climbing up a congested leaderboard to charge back into PGA Championship contention.
The Masters champion bounced back from a four-bogey finish to his opening-round 74 by carding a bogey-free 67 on Friday afternoon at Aronimink Golf Club, lifting him within five strokes of the halfway lead.
McIlroy registered three birdies in tough scoring conditions to move to one over for the tournament and remain in the hunt to lift the Wanamaker Trophy for a third time, as Alex Smalley and Maverick McNealy set the pace on four under.
McIlroy played alongside Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm (right), who is three strokes off the lead
The world No 2 described his round as “not as s***” to reporters, a day on from giving a one-word expletive to summarise Thursday’s display, with McIlroy pleased to give himself a chance to challenge for a seventh major title.
“It has been hard to make birdies out there because obviously the wind the last couple days, but also where they have put these hole locations,” McIlroy told reporters after his second round. “I feel like they have really tried to protect the course the first couple of days.
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McIlroy gave a hilarious response to a journalist who asked him to compare his first two rounds at the PGA Championship
“It seems like they have used up a lot of the really hard ones [pins]. Depending upon a little bit calmer conditions and maybe a couple more favourable hole locations, I think guys that are just here for the weekend – I think everyone’s got to feel like they have got a chance.
“It’s bunched, but you get on a run with wedges on that front nine and you shoot four of five under and all of a sudden you’re right in the thick of things. At five back I do feel like I’m right in the tournament, and that’s really what I wanted to do today.”
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McIlroy fired himself back in contention at the PGA Championship, as Alex Smalley and Maverick McNealy shared the halfway lead
The eight shots separating the lead and cut mark of four over equals the smallest in PGA Championship history, leaving McIlroy questioning whether more could have been done to offer further scoring opportunities.
“I think a bunched leaderboard like this, I think it’s a sign of not a great set-up,” McIlroy added. “I think when it’s as bunched as it is, it hasn’t really enabled anyone to separate themselves.
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Tough conditions at Aronimink made it a battle for some of the players fighting to make the cut at the PGA Championship
“It’s easy to make a ton of pars, hard to make birdies. Not that it’s hard to make bogey, but it feels like bogey’s the worst score you’re going to shoot on any one hole. There’s not a lot of hazards.
“I think the set-up is fine – the golf course is good, the pins were tough and the wind was what it was as well. I’ve always felt like really good set-ups start to spread the field a bit and not great set-ups sort of bring everyone together. I feel like that’s what’s happened the last two days.”
Gusting winds and challenging pins left bottlenecks around the course during a slow Friday, with McIlroy seen visibly frustrated after facing a long wait to play his tee shot and approach at the par-four 10th.
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McIlroy was left frustrated with slow play during the second round of the PGA Championship as his group were left waiting to tee off on the 10th hole
“It was slow,” McIlroy conceded. “I think that [Theegala’s lost ball] was what definitely delayed us in the middle of that round. There’s a few little parts of the course that you can sort of get jammed on, but it’s fine.
“It seems like that’s the first two days of major championship golf are always going to be like that. You get that afternoon tee time on Friday at Augusta and it’s one of the slowest rounds of the year. You don’t mind being out there because it’s Augusta, but at the same time it is very, very slow.”
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