After a lackluster 2-over 72 on Friday, Rory McIlroy used a moving day to his advantage at the RBC Canadian Open.
The Northern Irishman shot a respectable five-under 65 to move him to seven under for the tournament, and the Canadian fans were once again cheering him on and making him feel included.
“It’s unbelievable. I feel like an honorary Canadian. The support I get out here is amazing,” McIlroy said. “I’ve said it a lot, it’s fun to play in an atmosphere like this. The crowd is so good, so supportive, so enthusiastic and I’m looking forward to playing another day.”
After a late practice session on Friday, he explained that he felt he was playing much better than he had in a while. The two-time Canadian Open champion said he felt like he had been out of form but was able to work through that issue.
McIlroy finished the day with an eagle and three birdies for a 30, adding two bogeys and two birdies in the final nine holes.
“I started pretty fast, 3 under after five holes and 5 under after nine,” McIlroy said. “I wish I could have gone up a couple of strokes, but overall it was a good day and hopefully I’ll be within striking distance tomorrow.”
McIlroy shot seven strokes better than he did on Friday and after slow starts in the first two rounds, he finally started to see the ball go in the hole.
“After starting like that, I think I played better at least on the easier holes. It was good to be three under on No. 4 and No. 5,” he said. “Yeah, it’s always good to get some momentum early in the round and try to keep it going.”
With 18 holes remaining in the 2024 RBC Canadian Open, and with the top players taking to the course Saturday evening, McIlroy will have some work to do on Sunday if he wants to win his third time in four starts.
Savannah Lee Richardson is a Golf Staff Writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow us for more golf articles. Follow You can follow us on all major social platforms. You can also follow us on Twitter Follow Instagram: @savannah_leigh_sports
