Golf

Rory McIlroy and Séamus Power in the mix at the Memorial Tournament

World number three grinds out a 71 in difficult conditions while Power finishes strongly

Rory McIlroy in action at the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Photograph: Andy Lyons/Getty
Rory McIlroy in action at the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Photograph: Andy Lyons/Getty
Philip Reid
Fri Jun 07 2024 - 22:31

Rory McIlroy hung tough.

In a second round of the Memorial tournament where windy conditions accentuated the challenge of one of the hardest courses on the PGA Tour schedule, a second round 71 for a midway total of three-under-par enabled him to remain very much in the mix headed into the weekend.

In the $20 million signature event that is serving as the precursor to next week’s US Open at Pinehurst, where firm conditions are expected, McIlroy quipped: “This is probably more US Open like than the US Open’s going to be next week . . . I think just that mindset of being patient and making as many pars as possible that’s sort of going to be the MO for next week as well.”

McIlroy certainly lived up to his own words in a second round where he scrambled and battled to avoid any big numbers ruining his scorecard, finishing with four birdies and three bogeys. The last of those bogeys, though, came on the 12th hole and he followed a birdie on the 14th with four straight pars to finish.

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Describing the wind as “really tricky,” McIlroy described the challenge that faced players in the wind.

“This course is penal enough anyway, if you miss in the wrong spots. You get this wind and if it was as fiery as it has been in previous years it would be treacherous, but it’s still, the ball’s holding on the greens and on the fairways and you still have opportunities to make birdie. Anything under par I think is a good score, but, yeah, very hard to go low,” he said.

Séamus Power was one of those who had a tough old time of it, only to show his grit on the way home. The Waterford man started bogey-bogey and suffered a double-bogey on the sixth, turned in 40, but rallied coming home – claiming three birdies in his last eight holes – to sign for a 74 that left him one-under-par 143 and inside the top-20.

Shane Lowry too found it tough going, turning in 39 with three bogeys, but also fought back gamely to claim back-to-back birdies on the 11th and 12th and didn’t drop a shot on the way home in signing for a 73 for 147.

In the Volvo Scandinavian Mixed tournament in Sweden, Sebastian Soderberg, on 15-under-par 129, claimed a three shot midway lead over Scott Jamieson while Kildare’s Lauren Walsh survived the cut after adding a second round 75 to her opening 67 for 142.

Philip Reid

Philip Reid

Philip Reid is Golf Correspondent of The Irish Times