Rory McIlroy provided a self-assessed “B+” as he headed into the weekend of the $20 million Genesis Invitational on the PGA Tour at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California, where the Northern Irishman remained very much in contention for a 30th career win on the US circuit.
A second round 67 for a midway total of five-under-par 139 moved McIlroy into solo fourth in the PGA Tour signature event, three shots behind 36-holes leader Davis Thompson with Scottie Scheffler sitting in second place. The world number one appears fully recovered from the hand injury which required surgery when a wine glass broke while he was making ravioli on Christmas Day.
All three Irish players in the field made the cut, in a tournament limited to just 72 players: while McIlroy, winner of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, moved up to third in his quest for back-to-back wins on his opening two events of the year on the PGA Tour, Séamus Power’s 73 for 142 left the Waterford man in tied-eighth, while Shane Lowry’s second consecutive 73 for 146 left the Offaly man in tied-34th.
For McIlroy though an improved round with putter in hand left him in a strong challenging position headed into the weekend in pursuit of Davis, and also with the chance to move back into the world number two spot on the official world rankings.
Rory McIlroy gives himself a ‘B+’ as he moves into contention at Torrey Pines
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Of giving himself a B+ grade in a second round 67, McIlroy observed: “I played well for the most part, I scrambled well. I just didn’t take advantage of the par 5s, I only made one birdie on 9, hit it in the fairway on 6 and didn’t make birdie and then didn’t birdie the two Par 5s on the back nine. I made up for it in other places, which was nice, but I know going into the weekend I’m going to have to play the Par 5s better.”
McIlroy had six birdies and two bogeys in his second round – albeit birdieing only one of the four Par 5s, normally a strength – and remains in a position of strength to challenge over the weekend with the weather conditions expected to improve.
In self-critical mode, McIlroy admitted: “I need to take advantage of the Par 5s better, I haven’t played the Par 5s that well the first couple of days. So yeah, I need to do that, need to do that better especially when a golf course like this is playing so tough, you need to birdie the easy holes and the chances that it presents ... I don’t see this course getting much easier as the week goes on!”
Of assuming the role of midway leader with Scheffler and McIlroy among those in pursuit, Thompson – a one-time winner on the PGA Tour, last year’s John Deere Classic – admitted; “We’re halfway through, still a lot of golf left. I’m just trying to stay in my own lane, try to focus on what I’m doing.”
