World No. 1 Rory McIlroy has vowed to step on the gas over his closing two rounds of the Shell Houston Open.
It was though all of Houston was willing McIlroy on to birdie one of his closing seven holes and he did so, at his penultimate hole, in carding a 70 for a one under par tally.
And in the Masters scheme of things there could not have been a more important round of golf and with the last thing McIlroy needing before the season’s first Major, and that was the weekend off in suburban Humble.
“This this game can be very fickle and a couple of birdies and few good shots in a row and your confidence goes up,” he said.
Rory McIlroy makes the cut in the Shell Houston Open with a one under par total. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
“You then hit a couple of bad ones and it sort of goes a little bit in the opposite direction.
“But I’ve found myself holding back a bit and that’s something I wasn’t doing that at Doral, and maybe it’s because I haven’t played a tournament in a couple of weeks and I’m just trying to ease my way into it a bit more.
“So it’s just good to have these two rounds of the weekend and sort of get myself out of that habit.”
Maybe it was something to with McIlroy spending Thursday evening watching UTube clips of ‘Dufnering’, a new craze that’s swept the Shell Houston Open.
The craze took off after Jason Dufner was photographed slouched on the floor with a vacant expression on his face, but he later admitted his back had been hurting hence taking to the floor.
The Alabama-based Dufner, who won twice last year to qualify for the US Ryder Cup team, has to be one most laid-back players in world golf, so much so it seems he wouldn’t shout if a shark bit him.
“It’s the best thing I ever saw, and I’ve never had so much entertainment going through all the ‘Dufnering’ UTube clips,” said McIlroy.
McIlroy commenced his round from the 10th hole at one over par and finally managed to make his way into the red with birdies of four feet at the 15th and then after hitting an 8-iron tee shot at the next, the current World No. 2 holed an 18-foot putt.
He was forced to take a penalty drop after an errant drive right off the second tee or his 11th hole and from there on it was an anxious closing seven holes not only for McIlroy but for his coach, Michael Bannon and the hundreds out following McIlroy’s group.
“I noticed that I was T77 when I walked onto the seventh green (his 16th) and I knew I probably needed a birdie coming in and which I was able to do,” said McIlroy.
Steve Wheatcroft heads the 2013 Shell Houston Open after two rounds. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
He achieved that goal at the next, the par five eight hole and hitting a 280-yard fairway wood to 84 feet and just short left of the green from where he putted up to four feet putt for birdie.
Then at the last, McIlroy’s birdied putt shaved the hole for a round of 70 that left him sharing 53rd place as the afternoon half of the field in the $6.2m event took to the course.
“It was a little better and there was a lot more consistency, and there wasn’t that many loose shots in there, and I managed to hit more greens and give myself chances for birdies,” he said.
“I felt like I also putted pretty well but there was just a couple that didn’t drop for me but all in all it was an improvement on yesterday and that is the main thing.
“It didn’t feel high pressure for me but I guess in a way I needed to get out there and shoot a decent score to make sure I was in there for the weekend.
“I played the last few holes really well when I sort of needed to.
“It now gives me the weekend to build on and a weekend where I have a couple more rounds and get more confidence in what I’m doing.
“My game feels good but there was a couple of swings out there that I was a bit tentative on and if I just let them go I will be fine.
“But that’s more a mental thing than a mechanical thing at this point.”
