Rory McIlroy’s Comeback at the PGA Championship

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Rory McIlroy is making a strong comeback.

The golfer from Northern Ireland, aged 37, had a rough start with a 4-over 74, placing him tied for 105th in the first round of the PGA Championship held at Aronimink Golf Club on Thursday.

However, he turned things around remarkably by shooting a 4-under 66 in the third round on Saturday, bringing his total score to 3 under and putting him in a tie for third place, just one stroke behind the leader.

As he heads into the final month before aiming for his second consecutive Masters title, McIlroy, who holds the number two spot in world rankings, started powerfully with 32 strokes on the front nine.

He managed to score a birdie on the 13th hole, momentarily tying for the lead at 4 under for the tournament.

On Friday, McIlroy played a bogey-free round, being one of only two players to record a 3-under 67. Yet, he faced a small setback on the back nine, with a bogey at the 17th hole.

His chip from the front of the challenging green was impressive, achieving a par for the hole.

McIlroy seems to be on the up-and-up.

His scores over the rounds are 74, 67, and 66. After making 34 putts in the first round and 30 on Friday, he improved significantly, needing only 27 putts on Saturday.

In all six of McIlroy’s major tournaments, he has entered the final round at least tied for the lead.

Leaving the course shortly after 3 p.m. on Saturday, many top contenders were still playing, and he found himself just a stroke shy of the leader.

“I felt like I had a chance,” he reflected after the round.

Looking back at Thursday’s finish, McIlroy expressed disappointment, saying, “It was really bad. But at the end of the day, I was back to seven points. It reminded me of last year’s Masters.” He noted how he climbed from being seven places down after the first day to two places ahead on the final day.

He acknowledged, “There’s a lot that can happen in golf and within a tournament. I’m getting closer to first place every day. We’ll see what happens.”

He’s definitely feeling the momentum.

“I’ve climbed out of that hole a little, and I’m proud of it. With just one day left, I think I’m close enough to the lead to still believe I have a chance,” he added.

After the day’s play, he planned to head back to his rental home to catch some of the afternoon rounds on TV and review some footage.

“I started watching Batman: The Dark Knight last night, so I’ll finish that. It helps me take my mind off things,” he mentioned casually.

McIlroy found Saturday’s conditions more favorable, which he had anticipated after Friday’s round.

“Considering the pin placements, it looks like they’ve tried to stay on course the past few days. The really tough pin locations seem to have eased up,” he said. “This could mean a calmer situation over the weekend, and I’m optimistic that there will be more inviting hole locations for the players coming out.”

“We feel like we can compete well in this tournament with a strong finish,” he concluded, and it seems he was spot on.