8/08/2015

Rory Whistles While He Works

Photo: James Haddock
Rory McIlroy stepped up his bid to play in next week's US PGA Championship by playing a practice round at Whistling Straits on Saturday.

The world No 1 has been sidelined for the last month after rupturing ligaments in his ankle while playing football with his friends.

That injury forced him to miss the defence of his Open title at St Andrews, but he published videos of a training session earlier in the week before heading to Wisconsin.

Speculation that McIlroy would play in the final major championship of the season stepped up a notch on Friday when he was handed a 1.20pm local time (7.20pm BST) grouping for Thursday's opening round.

The Irishman will, assuming he is fit to play, go out alongside Masters and US Open champion Jordan Spieth and Zach Johnson, who claimed the Claret Jug in thrilling fashion last month.

McIlroy enjoyed success on his last visit to Whistling Straits, a tough links-style course, when he finished third at the 2010 US PGA, one shot away from getting into the three-hole play-off Martin Kaymer went on to win.


Turner Shares Galgorm Lead

European Tour
Niall Turner shares the lead heading into the final round of the Northern Ireland Open in Association with Sphere Global and Ulster Bank after a three under par third round 68 at Galgorm Castle moved him to the summit alongside second round leader Emilio Cuartero Blanco.

Turner birdied the 18th to set the clubhouse target at 14 under par while his Spanish counterpart could only make par to remain on the same score, with Jamie McLeary and Clément Sordet two shots further back in joint third place.

The 32 year old suffered a bad back injury in January that disrupted most of his season thus far but credited the support of the local crowds with spurring him on this week.

“It’s fantastic playing in front of an Irish crowd,” he said. “This event is so well supported, and I had some close friends and family up here today.

“It’s great to hear the roar from the crowds, like on the last hole when I made a long birdie putt, and it’s fantastic to know that you’ve got the home crowd behind you.

“It was actually a bit of an up and down round. I got it going really well in the middle of the round but missed a lot of short putts coming in.

“I was happy with my final two holes though, saving par on 17 and then a lovely birdie on the last. All in all I’m delighted with a 68.

“It’s exciting to be in the final group in the final round. I’ve always enjoyed playing in front of crowds so I’m looking forward to it.

“I’ll treat it like any other round and go through the usual pre-round routine. It’s hard to do but you have to stay true to what you’ve been doing and trust in your game. I’m really excited about it.”

Cuartero Blanco admitted nerves got the better of him as he made a double bogey on the first hole, but he made five birdies and an eagle to fire a 69 and remain in a share for the lead.

“I started very badly, just some bad swings,” said the 24 year old. “I was a bit nervous today because I haven’t held the lead in a tournament since I was an amateur, but now I’m so excited.

“My round was a bit messy but the eagle on the ninth helped. I putted well and made a lot of birdies, and I was happy to be able to come back after a bad start and to be able to hold a lead.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how I perform under final round pressure. The people just want to see good shots, so I think they enjoyed me today because I made a lot of birdies, as well as quite a few bogeys, but it was good fun.

“I couldn’t be happier with the crowd that followed me. There was a family from San Sebastián and they were cheering ‘vamos, vamos’ which was nice to hear. But everyone claps and cheers everything, it’s great to have this support out here and I’m excited for even more people.”

Frenchman Sordet, in just his fourth event since turning professional, almost made a hole in one on the par three fifth as he shot a 68 to move to 12 under par.

McLeary started with a sublime approach to the first and three other birdies on the front nine moved him into contention before a bogey coming home meant he remains two shots back.

His fellow Scot Peter Whiteford fired the best round of the day, a six under par 65, and sits on 11 under par alongside Denmark’s Jeff Winther and American John Hahn.

A clutch of players remain well within striking range at 10 under par, including Road to Oman Rankings leader Ricardo Gouveia and 2013 Northern Ireland Open champion Daan Huizing.

The home hopeful Chris Selfridge, having this week made his eighth successive cut since turning professional, fired a level par round of 71 to remain on eight under par.


Shane Second in Akron

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Shane Lowry Firestoned Akron with a second round 66 to sit four behind outright leader Jim Furyk’s to seize a share of second at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Lowry signed for a four under par card and remains in the chase alongside Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson.

A booming 300 yard drive down the 11th left an approach of just 111 yards and he would spin that in to six feet to roll in the birdie that moved him into second place on his own.

It was the 14th however that possibly proved to be Lowry’s key hole. A misjudged second shot saw his ball scuttle into the bunker at the back of the green but from there he would flip it out to 10 feet before rolling in a crucial, clutch par putt.

That save would give him the momentum to find the back of the par three 15th green from where he rolled in a long birdie putt to close the gap yet further on Jim Furyk.

Pars at the 16th and the 17th saw him go to the final hole three behind the lead. However, a bogey there after his second shot flew the green meant that he signed for a 66 and had to settle for a total of four under par going into the weekend.

It could have all been even better as well, were it not for a short missed par putt at the ninth, his last. That bogey came after three birdies in four holes, including a beautifully played flop shot at the fifth which found the bottom of the cup for a two.

Graeme McDowell battled hard to remain in contention as he looks to improve on a dismal season so far.

As steady starts go McDowell had the steadiest of all, opening with 10 straight pars as he played the course the opposite way around.

However, trouble around the green at the 11th would see the 2010 US Open card a six and drop back a shot.

A birdie two holes later at the fourth, thanks to an exquisite approach to two feet, was nullified by a bogey at the sixth.

Three straight pars to finish the round was enough to see the 36-year-old sign for a one over par 71, leaving him nicely placed going into the weekend.

For Padraig Harrington it was a second successive two over par 72 as he failed to get any sort of birdie run together.

Level par for the round going to the 13th Harrington would fail to make par and followed that bogey up with another at the 14th to slip back to four over for the tournament.