Rory McIlroy Storms to Co-Lead at 2023 WGC-Dell Match Play
Rory McIlroy shines alongside Patrick Cantlay at the 2023 WGC-Dell Match Play, displaying prowess and resilience on the Pinehurst course. Follow McIlroy’s journey to potential victory amidst ideal playing conditions.
Rory McIlroy Surges to Shared Lead at 2023 WGC-Dell Match Play
Pinehurst, NC – History was on Rory McIlroy’s side as he looked to take another step towards reclaiming major championship glory at the 124th US Open. The Northern Irishman carded a superb, bogey-free 65 to share the overnight lead with American Patrick Cantlay, both players matching the first-round score of Martin Kaymer en route to his runaway victory at the same venue in 2014.
“I went through a run there for a while where my starts at major championships weren’t very good. Probably got myself a little too worked up at the start of the week,” McIlroy explained. “But it’s nice to get off to another good start.”
This was an encouraging omen for McIlroy, as the last three times he has started a major with a bogey-free round – the 2011 US Open, 2012 US PGA, and 2014 Open – he went on to win all three. Two days after reconciling with his wife Erica and dismissing the divorce petition he filed last month, the four-time major champion showcased his resilience, holing from seven feet for a birdie on the fourth, chipping in for another on the next, and adding further gains at the 10th, 16th, and 18th.
McIlroy’s playing partners, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and 2022 Masters and U.S. Open champion Xander Schauffele, carded rounds of 71 and 70, respectively. With ideal morning conditions expected on Friday, the Northern Irishman is poised to capitalize and cement his position at the top of the leaderboard in the 2023 WGC-Dell Match Play.
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