Rory McIlroy shoots 67 in final round before PGA Championship
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Rory McIlroy reaches par-5 No. 7 in two, makes birdie at Truist Championship
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Saturday night range sessions. One “bad habit” to address.
As he did at Augusta National, Rory McIlroy headed to Quail Hollow’s practice area on the eve of the final round, seeking a cure for his left miss.
Last month, that late-afternoon practice helped McIlroy win a second consecutive Masters. It was never going to do the same at his beloved Quail Hollow. His third-round 75 ensured that. But it could set the stage for major success next week.
“I was trying to figure it out a little bit on the range last night,” McIlroy said Sunday, “which I felt like I did, and I hit the ball much better today.”
It was an up-and-down week for McIlroy, who shot 70-67-75-67 to finish at 5-under 279. He started the tournament with 17 consecutive pars, setting a new personal record, then charged into the top 10 with his second-round 67. He beat just two players Saturday, however.
Rory McIlroy sinks 18-inch putt for birdie on No. 8 at Truist Championship
The statistics paint a different picture than McIlroy’s self-assessment. He gained more than 4 strokes off the tee and more than 2.5 with his approach play. He ranked near the bottom of the field in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green, however, and also lost strokes on the greens. He led the field in Driving Distance and was in the top five of Greens in Regulation, as well.
But McIlroy said he was struggling with the same swing flaw that he battled so well at Augusta National, a tendency to get the club swinging too far in-to-out through impact. He attributed it in part to the left-to-right wind that blew across Quail Hollow’s range for most of the week.
“That's sort of my bad habit at the minute and I just have to be aware of it and I was much more aware of it and did a better job of managing it today,” he said.
McIlroy will head home for a day before arriving at Aronimink Golf Club for this year’s PGA Championship. McIlroy recently played a single practice round at the course, which also hosted the 2018 BMW Championship. McIlroy finished fifth in that event, shooting a course-record 62 in the first round.
“I'm going to go home tonight, which will be nice, spend a night in my own bed and practice at home tomorrow,” McIlroy said. “Try to … just sort of continue that feel and bring that up to Philadelphia for the rest of the week.”
