Rory McIlroy electrified the crowd with a stunning performance at The Open, making a late charge towards the top of the leaderboard on Saturday. Entering the day seven shots back of Scottie Scheffler, McIlroy wasted no time, eagling the first hole and birdying three of the first four. He had one of the best shots of the day and returned an awesome score of 66 to accomplish the feat. That left him tied for fourth, six shots off Scheffler’s pace as they entered the concluding day.
McIlroy had a tremendous 36-footer for birdie to start his round on the first hole. This powerful introduction was the perfect prologue for the exhilarating day that followed. He finished off his round by making a tap-in birdie on the par-5 second hole. The rebound wasn’t far off—especially when he drained another seven-footer for birdie on the par-4 fourth. These initial successes fired up not just McIlroy, but the decidedly more liberal yellow gallery that was chasing him down the fairways.
As the round progressed, McIlroy faced challenges but demonstrated resilience. He was put to the test on the long par-3 16th. With excellent control, he executed an up-and-down that kept his speed going forward. It was the 17th hole where he had to deal with an unforeseen conundrum. After his ill-fated tee shot made its way into the galleries, a warm-hearted patron picked up his ball. McIlroy substituted it and somehow got up and down for par, hanging on to his place in contention.
McIlroy took a bogey on the 11th after one of the “strangest” things that has ever happened to him. Yet, in spite of all this, his confidence remained bold and unwavering. He recovered in style, making a brilliant eagle on the par-5 12th to avoid disaster. He drained an amazing 56-foot birdie putt from the back fringe! He followed that up with yet another birdie on 15. His method ended with the ball finishing slightly less than four feet from the hole.
“The roar when this ball was in was insane. It was insane all day, but the noise after that putt went in was incredible.” – Rory McIlroy
Closing with back-to-back pars at the 17th and 18th holes, McIlroy was 8-under par on the day. The scene at Royal Portrush was electric. Supporters organized themselves around him, even stoking optimism that he could make a difficult but doable comeback entirely.
Looking ahead to Sunday, McIlroy recognized the near impossibility of his task of catching a runaway Scheffler.
“Whenever you’re trying to chase down a guy like that, it’s hard to do,” McIlroy stated.
As he walks up to the 18th tee on the last day, McIlroy’s intent is unambiguous. His performance on Saturday is a testament to his talent and to Rehm’s ability to succeed in high-pressure situations.
“That was a really cool moment … could be one of the coolest moments I’ve ever had on a golf course,” McIlroy added, reflecting on his memorable eagle putt.
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