Up till his exploits on the closing gap, McIlroy’s again 9 frustration was summed up by his failure to use an enormous drive on the par-five 14th as his pulled seven-iron method was adopted by a careless stomach wedge, with the 15-foot birdie putt failing to drop.
McIlroy needed to gap a six-foot putt to rescue par on the fifteenth however there was no escape on the subsequent as his method right into a greenside bunker resulted in one other dropped shot and an extra stroke went on the quick seventeenth when his tee shot completed 20 yards wanting the inexperienced.
Nevertheless, McIlroy did end his spherical on a excessive as his eagle moved him to inside six of Straka after his enormous drive and correct method.
The four-time main winner’s quick begin had included birdies on the second, fourth and sixth earlier than he carded a two on the iconic par-three seventh gap the place Lowry holed-in-one on Thursday.
However the world quantity three’s run of 4 momentum-halting pars – which included a wedge from solely 87 yards on the eleventh which spun again 30 toes from the pin – was adopted by successive bogeys when he short-sided himself on the quick twelfth and located a bunker off the tee on the subsequent.
McIlroy continued to make errors in the course of the the rest of his again 9 earlier than his massive end.
