Rory McIlroy reckons he’s shaken his Hazeltine hangover as evident in muscling his way up the board on day two of the WGC – HSBC Champions event in Shanghai.
McIlroy battled cold, mist and rain in a fighting six under par 66 that included seven birdies to be trailing six shots from the lead at seven under par and with two rounds to play on the Sheshan course.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama grabbed nine birdies, including three in succession at the start of his inward half, in a sizzling seven under par 65 to take a three-shot lead on 13-under par into the weekend rounds of the $US 9.5m event.
The current World No. 10 ranked Matsuyama is not only striving capture a 10th pro career win along with a fourth PGA Tour counting title but also become the first Japanese golfer ever to win a WGC title.
Rory McIlroy day two 2016 WGC – HSBC Champions. (Photo – European Tour)
Scotland’s and defending champion, Russell Knox posted five birdies and dropped just one shot in superb round of 68 to be tied with American Bill Haas (67) for a 10-under par tally.
The four-time Major winning McIlroy is tied with fellow Irish Open winners Paul Casey (70) and Ross Fisher (68) along with China’s Xiniun Zhang (69).
McIlroy went into day two of the $US 9.5m having shot a no-frills opening 71 that included 32 putts and his managed to cut that down to 29 and in a display that earned him the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup winning double a week before teeing-up at Hazeltine.
“It’s a little difficult, especially coming off the Ryder Cup as that was a disappointment, but two weeks of intense competition and your adrenaline is pumping and everything,” he said.
“But it’s a WGC, and the thing about after the FedExCup for me was I needed to reassess my goals and be like, okay, I want to try and do the double here, I want to try to win The Race to Dubai, as well as what I’ve already achieved this year.
“There’s a lot to play for still for me and that’s why I feel like it’s pretty easy to get motivated for the next few weeks.”
McIlroy capped his second round with three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the 11th hole and while his bogeyed 16, and only his second dropped shot in two days, he birdied the last and after putting a shot into the water for a bogey at the same hole a day earlier.
“Today’s score is just what the doctor ordered,” he said.
“I feel like I actually hit the ball pretty similarly the first two days.
“I just held a few more putts today and was able to take advantage of some of the good drives that I was hitting.
“So a 66 in these conditions is pretty good out there, and looks like from the way the leader board is, I’m going to need a couple more scores like that to have any chance.
“There was definitely some rust in the 71 yesterday. I feel like I’ve shaken most of that off.
“It would have been nice today to go around without a bogey. I hit one into the hazard there on 16. But game feels really good, it really does.
“As I said, hopefully I can have a good weekend here, and there’s still a lot to play for me this year and try to really give myself a chance to win another Race to Dubai.”
Shane Lowry clawed his way up the board birding his closing three holes in a score of a four under par 68 to be tied in 26th spot at two under par.
Lowry bogeyed the sixth for a second day running but was then five under par for his closing 11 holes.
