Rory McIlroy tight-lipped over what was so funny at RBC Canadian Open
World number three Rory McIlroy played his way back into contention at the RBC Canadian Open with a solid third round performance at Hamilton Golf & Country Club. Following a late practice session on Friday night, McIlroy, 35, seemed to find his form, carding a five-under 65. His round was highlighted by a brilliant eagle…
World number three Rory McIlroy played his way back into contention at the RBC Canadian Open with a solid third round performance at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.
Following a late practice session on Friday night, McIlroy, 35, seemed to find his form, carding a five-under 65. His round was highlighted by a brilliant eagle at the fourth hole, which set the tone for a string of birdies on the front nine. However, the Northern Irishman faced some setbacks, dropping shots at the 10th and the 17th. The latter was particularly frustrating as he mishandled a lay-up attempt from a fairway bunker, resulting in a bogey.
At the end of his round, McIlroy was seven-under overall, trailing the leaders, Robert MacIntyre and Ryan Fox, by three strokes. MacIntyre and Fox began their rounds shortly after McIlroy completed his.
Reflecting on his performance, McIlroy said, “I got off to a pretty fast start, three-under through five and five-under through nine. I wish I had made a couple more coming in, but overall a good day’s work and hopefully it puts me within touching distance going into tomorrow.” This came after he headed straight to the range following an underwhelming 72 on Friday.
McIlroy revealed that his struggles were not technical but rather due to a slight loss of sync in his swing. “I just felt like I got a little out of sync, so I worked a bit on tempo and rhythm and just slowing the transition down from the top,” he explained. “It wasn’t a ton of technical stuff, but just needed to try to sync it up again.”
He had played the first round with a sore head, having celebrated his caddie Harry Diamond’s birthday earlier in the week with a few glasses of red wine.
In the third round, McIlroy was paired with Tom Kim, who also shot a five-under 65. The two golfers appeared to share a light-hearted camaraderie, often seen laughing together throughout their round. When asked about their jovial mood, McIlroy replied with a wry smile, “Not sure.” Kim added, “I got to keep that between us.”
With just 18 holes left to play, McIlroy remains hopeful that he can close the gap and challenge for the title.
