McIlroy off colour in Las Vegas as Harrington finds Scottish links rhythm
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his shot from the ninth tee during the first round of The CJ Cup @ Shadow Creek on October 15, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy needed a hot putter to bail him out as he hit just four fairways and only nine greens to trail clubhouse leader Tyrrell Hatton by eight shots in the $9.75 million CJ Cup at Shadow Creek.
Inspired by Bryson DeChambeau, the world No. 4 tried to gain more ball speed with the driver during his recent three-week break.
But while he was ranked second for distance last night and made over 100 feet of putts, he finished with three straight bogeys to card a one-over 73 that left him tied 37th in the 78-man field.
Shane Lowry went out in two-under, bogeyed the second and third to slip back to level but then followed birdies at the seventh and eighth with a double-bogey six at the ninth where he had to lay up after driving into a fairway bunker and three-putted from 50 feet for a 72 that left him tied 32nd.
It was less stressful for BMW PGA Championship winner Hatton made an eagle two from 93 yards at his third hole (the 12th) en route to a seven-under 65 and a one-shot lead over Russell Henley and Xander Schauffele.
Meanwhile, Pádraig Harrington rediscovered his rhythm and rattled in seven birdies in six-under 66 to surge into contention for the Scottish Championship presented by AXA at Fairmont St Andrews.
Playing for the fourth week on the trot after nearly seven months away from the fairways, Europe's Ryder Cup skipper combined the straight driving and steady putting of his first three outings with some sweet iron play on the Torrance Course.
His stellar round—his lowest since he returned to action for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open last month—left him tied for fourth, just four strokes behind Spain's Adrian Otaegui, who made ten birdies in a bogey-free 62 to lead by three strokes from Matt Wallace and South Africa's Bryce Easton on 10-under.
"I couldn't be happier with how I'm playing at this stage," said Harrington, who followed a birdie at the second with a bogey at the par-five third before reeling off five birdies in his last ten holes.
"It's just a mental thing when you haven't been on the golf course. I liked what I saw the first three weeks, that's why I'm here for the fourth week."
Harrington complained he was lunging at his irons in the BMW PGA at Wentworth last week, but he rediscovered his rhythm on links terrain. Scores
"When it comes to rhythm you can't force it, you have to let it come back," he explained. "I was very pleased with my irons today, struck them lovely. A lot of good signs, but three more days to do it. Thursday is a bit early to be peaking."
It was a mixed day overall for the Irish with Clandeboye's Jonny Caldwell tied 30th after a 70 and Gavin Moynihan 54th after a 72 as Cormac Sharvin struggled on the back nine and shot 74 and Niall Kearney came back from a dreadful start—five-over after four—to scramble a 75.
