McIlroy Putts His Way Towards A Career First Successful Arnold Palmer Defence

Defending champ Rory McIlroy has brilliantly putted his way to a hopeful career first in successfully defending the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

McIlroy birdied three of his closing four holes in a six-under par 66 and storm his way to the clubhouse lead on eight-under par.

The current World No. 6 needed just 27 putts that included remarkable 11 one-putts and also a pair of three-putts and they were on two of the par’5s.

McIlroy has won 24 tournaments around the globe since turning pro in late 2007 but not once has his managed to successfully defend a title.

That could all change on Sunday afternoon and with memories strong of McIlroy birding five of his closing six holes a year ago in a sizzling last day 64 and win the Arnold Palmer for a first occasion.

“I am feeling good about tomorrow as this was a great round to get myself back into contention, and I have been feeling good about my game as I have been all year,” he said.

“It’s just a matter of doing the right things and doing them day-after-day and I can do all those maybe tomorrow is the day.

“This golf course has played much tougher from the very beginning of the tournament this year compared to the previous years,” McIlroy said.

“Knowing that the golf course was going to get firmer as the day went on, I stayed patient again yesterday. I felt like 2-under was a decent score. Two, three four-under today. You shoot a good one and you move up.”

McIlroy headed into the third round of the $9.5m event seven shots adrift of victorious Ryder Cup team-mate, Tommy Fleetwood.

He quickly brushed aside Friday’s frustrating round of 70 to birdie four of his opening six holes on day three thanks to birdie putts of six-feet at the second and then 11-feet at the next, the par-4 third.

McIlroy then made amends in bogeying the par-4 fifth hole on both day one and two when he rolled-in a 26-footer ahead of playing a superb 154-foot greenside bunker shot at sixth to just 12-inches for a fourth birdie of his day.

Then for a second day running McIlroy dropped a shot at the par-4 eighth hole after finding a back bunker.

McIlroy then produced five straight pars before the shot of his round, a laser-like 160-yard second shot to just six inches at the par-4 15th and tap-in to move to four-under for his round and also T2nd with seven others at six-under par.

There was now no stopping McIlroy turning-up the wick to birdie the par-5 16th and then after a par at 17 he had the fans standing to applaud when he ended his round by holing a six-footer for the seventh birdie of his round.

McIlroy proudly headed to the clubhouse leading at eight-under par.

Graeme McDowell jumped 26 places to a then T16th in the clubhouse with a much-improved 69 to get back to four-under and this after a horror second round 75.

McDowell could manage just one birdie in Friday’s effort but he turned that around with four birdies and just the one dropped shot on day three.

G Mac got things rolling in the right direction in holing an 11-footer at the par-5 fourth hole ahead of the only bogey when he three-putted the par-3 seventh hole.

McDowell bounced straight back after landing his second shot into the par-4 eighth hole on the back fringe and breaking out in big smile when his 16-footer birdie putt disappeared into the hole.

Then for a first time this week McDowell birdied the par-5 12th hole but only after he sent his 230-yard second shot some 40-yards past the hole before he brilliantly chipped to three-and-a-half feet for a third birdie of his day.

McDowell came to the final par-5 at the 16th and landed his second shot to some 20-feet from the flagstick and then two-putted for birdie before a par at the last and his 69.

And while McDowell was well in place on day one to secure one of the three invitations into July’s Open Championship, he is going to need to go ultra-low on day four to be heading to Royal Portrush.

Indeed, as McDowell relaxed over lunch there was as many as 10 others ahead of him on the Bay Hill leader board who also are not yet exempt into golf’s oldest major.



Comments are closed.