After starting his week with a six-birdie blitz at Seminole, Rory McIlroy could climb back to the dizzy heights of World No. 1 in Mexico City.
The current World No. 3 would return to the top of the rankings with victory in the WGC – Mexico Championship but needs the game’s current top-ranked Dustin Johnson to finish in a two-way tie for third or worst.
McIlroy’s goal will be helped by World No. 2 Jason Day sitting out this week’s $US 9.75m event due to a double ear infection.
It’s been 528 days since McIlroy was last World No. 1 and that was ahead of teeing-up in the 2015 PGA Championship and losing the title to Day in finishing 17th at Whistling Straits.
Rory McIlroy returns to formal competition this week with the likelihood also of returning to World No. 1. (Photo – www.pgatour.com)
McIlroy is returning to competition this week after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his rib two days after losing a play-off for the South African Open title.
The rib injury saw him miss out contesting events in Abu Dhabi and also last week’s Honda Classic but after competing in Monday’s Pros-v-Members event at the exclusive Seminole Club in Florida, McIlroy’s confident of being competitive in Mexico City.
American Smyley Kaufman, who was in McIlroy’s four-ball on Monday, said the Ulsterman was ‘smoking’ his driver as evident when he hit a booming drive of some 390-yards downwind at the 405-yard first to just short of the green.
Then at the 425-yard 10th, McIlroy again took advantage of the wind at his back sending a soaring 382-yard drive.
“He was just smoking the driver all day”, said Kaufmann.
“His long-game was really good but his short-game was exceptional.”
And McIlroy remarked to long-time Seminole pro, Bob Ford his putting was feeling great before heading south of the border into Mexico.
This is very much the benefit of McIlroy having spent the last six weeks working on his short game at the nearby Bears Club and it wasn’t till recently he got back into full swing with the driver and his long-irons.
