Rory McIlroy confessed it would be “amazing” to claim his second Amgen Irish Open title and ease the pain of a year of near misses after he overcame winds gusting to 50 kmph and shot a joint best of the day 69 to take a one-shot lead into the final round at Royal County Down.
The world number three went into moving day tied for fourth place on four-under, just two strokes behind Italy’s Matteo Manassero.
But buoyed by an eagle three from around six feet at the downwind first, the Co Down man played a beautifully controlled round that was marred only by a shanked pitch from heavy rough that led to a sloppy bogey six at the demanding 18th.
While he’s won three times this year and will likely never forget his US Open collapse or the late mistake that cost him an Olympic medal, a second Irish Open win would go some way towards changing his outlook on the season and make up for those missed cuts in the 2015 Irish Open at Royal County Down and the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
“It would be amazing,” he said after carding one of just eight sub-par rounds yesterday to lead on six-under from Manassero.
“The last couple of times I’ve played in Northern Ireland, it hasn’t really panned out the way I wanted, so to play a good three days here and be in the final group and give myself a chance tomorrow, I’m excited for the opportunity.”
While he bogeyed the tough fifth — the hardest hole on the course yesterday as a stiff southerly wind blew down the course from Slieve Donard — he made a superb birdie two at the seventh and an even more impressive birdie at the 13th before he zig-zagged his way to a scrappy bogey six at the 18th.
“I definitely would have taken the score before I went out today,” said the world number three, who looked a different player to the man who shot rounds of 78 and 75 to miss the cut in The Open at Royal Troon comfortably. “Got off to the perfect start making three on one and then it was just a matter of trying to par as many holes as possible
“If you picked up a birdie here and there it was a bonus but I think to shoot in the sixties today in those conditions was a really good effort and it puts me in a great position going into tomorrow.
Manassero shot a one-over 72 to sit alone in second but with Jordan Smith and Robert MacIntyre also shooting two-under 69s to share third with Rasmus Hojgaard and Erik Van Rooyen, just three shots behind the Holywood star, the final round will be demanding, even in light winds.
“Conditions were very, very difficult,” said McIlroy, who felt his birdie at the 125-yard eighth, where he cut an eight iron into six feet, trumped his unlikely three at the 13th, where he recovered from heavy rough and made a bending 35-footer for the big gallery from a 15,000 estimated attendance.
“Overall, it was another very steady, solid day and I’ve given myself a chance. I talked about it at the start of the week. After the year that I’ve had and the close misses, it wouldn’t make up for all of it, but it would go a long way towards putting a nice shine on 2024 for me.”
McIlroy was proud of how he played on a day when his playing partner Todd Clements crashed to an 85, Roganstown amateur Sean Keeling shot 81 and Shane Lowry saw his chances evaporate with a 74.
“Yeah, I was very proud,” he said, conscious he would have to repeat that level of play to win. “A lot of tee shots in the fairway, a lot of shots onto the green, when I thought it was very difficult to get the ball close today.”
As for the difference between the McIlroy of this week and the man who struggled at Troon, he put that down to his comfort level on the course and his knowledge of where to miss rather than a technical or mental issue.
“I don’t mind the wind,” he said. “You know, I’ve proven that I can play in the wind and I’ve won in the wind in Scotland last year and a few other places. But when it’s like this and the rain starts, it becomes somewhat less enjoyable. So if it stays dry like this, I’m happy.”
It was also a good day for Tom McKibbin, who came within inches of an opening albatross and shot a one-under 70 to soar from tied 47th alongside Seamus Power overnight to tied 13th on level par.
“If I can go out and shoot another under-par round tomorrow, I’d be pretty happy,” said McKibbin, who is battling the likes of Manassero for one of ten PGA Tour cards.
Power was also pleased as made four birdies and four bogeys a 71, chipping in at the eighth and 10th to jump to 21st despite remaining on one-over.
“A lot of good stuff,” said Power, who came from the tough side of the draw. “Again, didn’t quite get it going. I kind of let a couple go in a couple of spots, but I also had a couple of chip-ins. So it probably evened out overall.”
Lowry soared up the leaderboard earlier in the day when he birdied his first three holes to get within two shots of the lead on four-under.
But the Offaly man bogeyed the fourth and fifth, then double-bogeyed the tough eighth and bogeyed the 10th as well to slip back into the pack.
While he birdied the downwind par-five 12th, he played his last four holes in three-over, sandwiching a birdie at the 16th between bogeys at the 15th, 17th and 18th, where he three-putted from 50 feet, signing for a 74 that left him tied for 30th on two-over.
As for Roganstown teenager Keeling (17), the young amateur was fighting an uphill battle after he failed to birdie the first, which yielded ten eagles and 39 birdies, and followed a bogey at the third with a triple bogey seven at the fifth en route to an 81 that left him 66th in the 68-man field on 10-over.