McIlroy shows great fight to battle back at USPGA

Defending champion Rory McIlroy showed plenty of fighting spirit to rescue his second round and make the cut at the USPGA Championships at Oak Hill today.

The world number three had opened with a one-under par 69, but a disastrous opening 10 holes say him card a double bogey, four bogeys and a birdie go out to four over and outside the projected cut mark.

The two-time Major champion started his recovery with birdies on the third and fourth holes and also strung together birdies on the seventh and eight holes to get back to level par for the tournament before making par at the ninth to sign for a one-over 71.

McIlroy, who won five times last year but has recorded just one top-three finish in 2013 since his controversial equipment change, said: “I was letting the round get away from me somewhat, but making four birdies on the last eight holes was nice to sort of redeem the round a little bit and keep myself in the tournament.

“Walking up the second hole, which was my 11th hole today, all I wanted to do is be here for the weekend. All of sudden, I’m somewhat back in the tournament. I get off to a fast start tomorrow and I’m right there.

“It makes me feel good because maybe in the middle of the season or a couple of months ago I wouldn’t have been standing up here. I would have been going home. It’s good to be able to do that and fight back and makes you feel good about yourself going into the weekend.”

Masters champion Adam Scott set the clubhouse target of seven under par after adding a 68 to his opening 65 on a morning when players had to battle heavy rain.

That left him one shot clear of US Open champion Justin Rose, who had six birdies on his back nine to come home in 29 shots and sign for a 66.

Webb Simpson was the best of the morning starters with a course record equalling 64 that included seven birdies and the American joined former champion Martin Kaymer on four under.

Despite a triple bogey seven on the par-four fifth, Darren Clarke looked set to make the cut on two over after a 73.

Lee Westwood admitted he had been "kicked where it hurts" after a bad finish to his second round.

The English golfer had seemingly done the hard work by getting through 16 holes in level par for the day, despite playing the vast majority of those in heavy rain.

But the 40-year-old Englishman then ran up a double-bogey on the eighth and dropped another shot on the ninth to card a 73 that left him one under par at the halfway stage.

“I played pretty well,” said Westwood, who is still seeking his first Major title at the 63rd attempt after letting a two-shot lead slip going into the final round of the British Open at Muirfield last month.

“The course was playing really long, the par-four 17th was unreachable, and I was just ticking along before getting kicked where it hurts on the last two holes.

“I would like to have finished par, par but I am in red figures going into the weekend and still have a chance.”

Westwood teed off in light drizzle and made regulation pars at the 10th and 11th before the rain became progressively heavier to threaten another stoppage in play after yesterday’s 70-minute delay.

That did not stop the former world number one from rolling in a 25 feet birdie putt on the 12th however, and although he was unable to birdie the par-five 13th for the second day running – he missed from four feet immediately after the stoppage yesterday – he did pick up a shot on the next to join Scott in the lead.

Scott regained top spot when his birdie putt from 15 feet on the 13th just had enough pace to trickle into the hole, and he was soon two clear as Westwood dropped his first shot of the week on the 17th.

Seeking to become the first man since Jack Nicklaus in 1975 to win the Masters and US PGA in the same year, Scott then moved three ahead with a birdie on the 16th, only to follow Westwood in dropping a shot on the 17th.