World No. 1 Rory McIlroy singled out a ‘lack of competitiveness’ in a un-McIlroy like third round in the PGA Championship.
McIlroy will head into the last day of the last Major of 2015 trailing nine strokes behind Australia’s Jason Day who posted a six under par 66 to take a two shot lead into the final round.
The four-time Major winning McIlroy got the start he wanted to be four under par after just six holes and capped by holing a monster 64-foot eagle putt from the back of the fifth green.
However McIlroy, who arrived on the shoreline of Lake Michigan not having played since finishing 9th in the U.S. Open, then proceeded to drop a shot at six and he displayed his frustration in hurling a sand-wedge after first finding a fairway bunker down the left side by putting his second into a bunker some 60-yards from the hole.
Rory MCILROY (NIR) on the 8th green during Saturday’s Round 3 of the 97th US PGA Championship 2015 held at Whistling Straits, Mosel, Kohler, Wisconsin, United States of America. 15/08/2015.
Picture Eoin Clarke, www.golffile.ie
McIlroy then showed his class in playing a shot from well above his feet down the right of the 9th from where he managed to save par.
He then played in the inward half in two under par with four birdies, including picking up shots at 16 and last, but also dropped shots at 12 and 15.
“I got off to a dream start to be four under par through five holes but then to give those shots away on six and eight, I guess just shows a lack of competitiveness as this is my first week back in a few weeks.
“The incident at eight was a little bit of frustration, and really just a bad decision off the tee. I should have hit a3-wood but I was hitting driver into the most narrow part of the fairway, so just a bad mental decision.
“But these things happen and you just learn from them and move on.”
However McIlroy could be doing some moving of a different sort and with Jordan Spieth set to unseat McIlroy should the American claim victory and what will be a third Major triumph this year.
But then McIlroy was pleased is so far pleased with his week given there had been so much uncertanity over his fitness following the now infamous Belfast suburban football match.
“I am very pleased with how I have approached the whole week mentally, and how I didn’t feel tentative coming back,” he admitted.
“I have been aggressive with my shots, I have been committed to most shots and most swings that I took.
“It is just getting back into the rhythm of it, getting back, as I thought it may have taken me a few weeks, but I feel like it’s right there and feels like I haven’t been away for that long, which is nice.
“I feel I can be very competitive for the next few weeks.”
