McIlroy Defence Suffers in Sydney

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Rory McIlroy's defence of his Emirates Australian Open title - to join Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Greg Norman as the only players to win back-to-back opens - took a enormous jolt today after a round of 76.

The Northern Irishman, who was tied at the top of the leaderboard with Rod Pampling, American Jordan Spieth, Brett Rumford and Greg Chalmers as he played the ninth of the third round, blocked his drive in the thick fescue grass on the right side of the fairway.

He could have declared his ball unplayable, but he attempted the possible of a challenge that looked impossible. 

An enormous swipe at the ball failed to dislodge, in fact, it became even deeper in the mulga.

Then, he finally took his medicine and took a two club-length penalty drop. It didn’t give him full relief off the wood chip surround of the fescue but he got it back into play.

So, four shots (one a penalty) already played. 

His next shot, a wedge from 60 metres, found the green about six metres from the pin. He two-putted for a triple bogey seven.

Suddenly, inexplicably, he was three shots off the lead. It is understood rules officials will review the incident before a triple bogey is confirmed.

Scott picked up two shots on the front nine to be four-under-par for the championship, just one behind Spieth and Pampling, who holed out for a spectacular eagle two at the par-4 10th.

Spieth collected back-to-back birdies early in his round to lead for much of his front nine before Pampling joined him with his pinpoint wedge.

After starting moving day three behind Chalmers, Scott bookended his front nine with birdies to close to within one of the lead, while McIlroy was slower to get going.

The defending champion was unable to get up and down after hitting over the green on the tough par-3 fourth hole, but bounced back with a birdie on the par-4 fifth after almost holing his sand shot for an eagle.

Conditions at The Australian Golf Club were more difficult on Saturday, with blustery winds proving troublesome.

The biggest movers came from the morning wave, with Daniel Nisbet charging up the leaderboard into equal 12th position at even par for the championship with a bogey-free four-under 67.

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McIlroy Stays In Mix Down Under

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Rory McIlroy stayed bang in contention and Adam Scott made a big move on the second day of the Emirates Australian Open.

McIlroy sits tied for second behind halfway leader Greg Chalmers at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney but it was Scott who made the headlines after a poor start to the tournament on Thursday.

The world No 3 carded three birdies and an eagle in his round of 66 and that was enough to move him into a tie for ninth, just three shots off the pace being set by left-hander Chalmers.

"Yesterday I got off to a bad start, and I didn't scramble well when I had to and it started to get away from me," Scott said. "Today a couple of good shots coming up 14 and I made an eagle and momentum is on your side."

Chalmers, a dual winner of the event, also shot a second-round 66 which mixed in a couple of dropped shots with seven birdies and was just one worse than the best round of the day, a 65 from American Jamie Lovemark.

McIlroy played in tougher conditions in the afternoon group, and he had more than his share of problems in shooting a topsy-turvy round of 69.

The Open champion had three bogeys in his first seven holes and dropped three more shots on the way back to the clubhouse, but three birdies and an eagle in his last five saved the day.

"I felt like I had an opportunity today to maybe shoot a good one and put a little bit of space between myself and the rest of the field, but it didn't really pan out that way," said McIlroy, who twice found the water on his way around.

He sits in a four-way tie for second on four-under alongside Australia's Adam Crawford, Conrad Shindler from the Unitd States and home amateur Todd Sinnott, who was one of the day's stars with a round of 67.

First-round leader Jordan Spieth, who was in the same group as Scott, failed to take advantage of the better scoring conditions in a round of 72 that leaves him in a tie for sixth, one shot ahead of his playing partner - he had four bogeys and only saved his day with birdies at his final two holes.

"It was a struggle, big-time struggle," Spieth said. "I wasn't hitting it well. If I wasn't putting well I may have shot 45 on the back nine."

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McIlroy Opens in Sydney 2 Under

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Rory McIlroy's defense of his Australian Open title began with a 2-under 69 on a cool, overcast and often drizzly morning at The Australian Golf Club.

McIlroy, winner of back-to-back majors this year at the the Open Championship and PGA Championship, began play on the back nine and made the turn at even-par after a birdie and a bogey. He birdied the first hole of his second nine, added another at the par-5 fifth, but made bogey on the seventh.

He finished strongly, hitting his approach on the ninth to less than 2 feet and making an easy birdie. McIlroy was a stroke behind Australian Aron Price, who was the best of the morning groupings with a 68.

It was a day that almost made him feel at home, McIlroy said.

"It was cold, windy and a little bit of rain here and there," explained the Northern Irishman. "When I think of playing golf in Australia, it's not the kind of day I expected."

McIlroy said the wind was tricky and predicted it could get tougher for the afternoon starters.

"The wind was up early on, then it died, then got up again," he said.

McIlroy missed a 10-foot putt for birdie on the 12th hole -- his third of the day after starting on the back nine -- and fought to save par on the 13th after putting his approach through the green.

He birdied the short par-5 14th after a bunker shot to three feet, but gave the shot back on the next hole after a poor shot out of the sand on the par-3 15th on the revamped Jack Nicklaus layout.

"Three birdies on the back nine, a nice one at the end," he said. "I'll take anything in the 60s. I thought was a good score and puts me right there for tomorrow."

Adam Scott, who finished second in last year's tournament at Royal Sydney when McIlroy birdied the 18th hole of the final round, was in an afternoon group that included American Jordan Spieth.

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Scott and McIlroy Meet in Sydney

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The Australian Open this week is all about the rematch between the No 1 v No 3 in the world, as Adam Scott lost a place when his birdie putt on the 18th hole lipped out at The Metropolitan in Melbourne on Sunday -  leaving him with a share of second place.

Meanwhile Sweden’s Henrik Stenson held off world No 1 Rory McIlroy to claim the European season-ending tour championship in Dubai and slip past Scott into the No 2 slot. Scott is unlikely to need any more motivation for his rematch with McIlroy at the Australian Golf Club in Sydney this week, after the Northern Irishman spoiled his rare opportunity to claim Australia’s triple crown of tournaments at Royal Sydney last year. But if he does beat the world No 1 to the title here, he is also likely to take back that lost ground on the rankings.

Neither player will arrive in Sydney claiming to be in career-best form, but both will be coming off runner-up finishes and with enough in the tank to recreate the fireworks they produced at their last meeting in the harbour city.

Scott left Melbourne yesterday believing he had found his rhythm on the final day of the Masters, and that the Australian layout, recently redesigned by Jack Nicklaus, will suit his style better than the confines of Metropolitan.

“I felt in good shape coming (to Melbourne) and just got knocked around on Thursday with that northerly (wind),’’ Scott explained on Sunday.

“I got a bit out of sorts and it’s taken me a couple of days to get back to where I thought I was. I’ve chipped away at it, today was definitely the best I’ve swung the club, chipped and putted.”

Scott hasn’t played the course since he was an amateur — he missed the two Australian Opens played there in the past 10 years (2004 and 2007) — but that’s unlikely to hurt his chances.

Some of those who have played the remodelled course say it may as well be brand new, so extensive are the changes. It is longer and much of the rough has been removed but the greens and bunkering are entirely different.

“I just remember it as a pretty long, tough golf course, demanding, and that’ll kind of suit me,’’ Scott said.

“If I get to hit the driver a bit more, that’s certainly to my advantage.”

McIlroy left Dubai less certain of his form but confident of his ability to contend no matter what.

“Given how I have played the last few days, second place isn’t too bad,’’ McIlroy said. “I didn’t have my best golf at all this week but at least I gave myself a chance (to win).

“It’s been a great season in terms of the wins I have had but these weeks are what I am proud of as well. In years gone by when I haven’t played my best golf it’s been middle of the pack, not a second-place finish. It’s something I am really excited about. My level of consistency is much higher and hopefully that will give me a lot more chances to win.’’

McIlroy will certainly want to put up a sturdy defence of the Australian Open title that sparked his run back to the top of the world this year. The Northern Irishman had not won for a year when he arrived in Australia last November but rediscovered his mojo in Sydney, where he birdied the 18th on the last day to snatch the title from Scott, who said at the time he was “gutted’’ by the result.

McIlroy went on to win two majors this year, the British Open and US PGA championship, as well as a world golf championship (Bridgestone Invitational) and reclaim the world No 1 ranking. He also won the European Tour’s Race to Dubai for the second time in three years.

In the same period, Scott has nursed his hurt from that near-miss at Royal Sydney with a view to reversing it this week.

Going into last year’s Australian Open, Scott looked like the best player in the world. Coming out, McIlroy looked like the No 1.

The question now is who will be on top next Sunday.

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