McIlroy's spectacular wonder-drive sees off McCarthy in Austin
Rory McIlroy . Photo by Richard Heathcote/R&A/R&A via Getty Images
Rory McIlroy spectacularly confirmed he's found the right driver for the Masters when he ripped an arrow straight 375-yard driver to three-feet nine-inches at the 18th to close out Denny McCarthy with an eagle two in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Texas.
"It wasn't easy out there," McIlroy said of his 2 up win over McCarthy. "It's windy and blustery and tricky. It was good.
"I'm really proud of myself that I hung in there after being three down early and clawing it back and producing the shots that I did over the last few holes to ultimately get the job done."
The number three seed was one-under for his first six holes at Austin Country Club, but McCarthy, the best putter on the PGA TOUR, raced into a three-hole lead with birdies at the first, third and fifth and an eagle three at the sixth.
McIlroy did not fade away, however, and after making a birdie two from 32 feet at the seventh to cut the gap to two holes, he took advantage of McCarthy's bogeys at the eighth and 10th and rode his luck by carrying a hazard by inches at the ninth, top get back to all square.
WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play - Results
The next five holes were halved before McIlroy's power told in the end.
“I took it out of the box on Friday last week and the first two shots with it, I was like, here we go”
He birdied the 548-yard yard 16th after two sensational shots to 18 feet to go one up, then followed a half in pars at the 17th with that dramatic drive at the 375-yard 18th - the only tee shot to find the green over the first two days.
"I certainly didn't expect to fly it on the green," McIlroy said. "It's almost one of those. When it's that far much downwind, it's almost like I could have hit 3-wood to get the downslope to get the skid.
"Like, I was imagining the driver was going to land into the upslope and sort of stay 10, 20 yards short. But as I said, I didn't imagine I could fly it on the green.
"Sort of got a hundred yards up the fairway, and Smylie (Kauffman) was out commentating on the group, and he said, dude, you just flew that on green. And I was like, oh, okay. So I didn't know for a little bit."
After struggling with the new model of driver this year, McIlroy returned to the 44-inch driver shaft he'd been using last year and found the perfect combination.
"I feel like I took it out of the box on Friday last week and the first two shots with it, I was like, here we go," he said. "That's what it should be. When you're trying to fit clubs and stuff, I don't think there should be too much fiddling about with it.
"It was like first two shots out of the box, and it was like, yeah, I think I've got one here. So it's nice to sort of see that feeling translate into the same thing on the golf course."
"I think the drives I hit on 12, even 13, 15, 16, 18, you know, I drove the ball great those last few holes and hit it really well. Yeah, it was great to see. Similar to yesterday too. I felt like I drove the ball really well yesterday."
Asked if his drive on the 18th was one of the best shots he'd ever hit to three-feet-nine inches, he beamed: "I was 1-up, and there's certainly a lot of other ways to make birdie on that hole without having to do that. But, yeah, it was a great swing, and it was a great time to do it."
With two wins from two, McIlroy faces Keegan Bradley to decide who progresses to the knockout phase after the American saw off Scott Stallings 6&5 in the day's final match.
World number one and defending champion Scottie Scheffler won six holes without reply as he came from behind to secure a comfortable 5&4 win over Alex Noren and claim his second point.
Jon Rahm stormed to a 4&3 victory over Keith Mitchell to pick up his first point and keep his hopes of progressing alive.
Seamus Power
As for the rest of the Irish, Shane Lowry crashed out at the round-robin stage for the seventh year in a row, but Seamus Power made a great pitch and putt birdie at the 18th, holing a clutch putt from nearly five feet to keep his hopes alive of making the last 16.
As the Offaly man lost 4&3 to 50th seed Mackenzie Hughes of Canada, who raced five-up through seven holes, Power birdied the 16th and 18th to beat Hughes' compatriot Adam Hadwin 1-up in a rollercoaster affair.
"Obviously, I needed that one to stay in it," said Power, who faces Sam Burns today after the American saw off Adam Scott on the 18th. "Sam won right there in front of us, so I knew I had to win that hole, so it was nice to sneak it in.
"A lot of work to do tomorrow. Obviously, Sam is a great player, so looking forward to the challenge."
If Power beats Burns and Scott beats Hadwin, there will be a three-way playoff to decide who tops the group.
