McIlroy and Lowry in touch as DeChambeau joins LIV; Ruaidhri McGee revival; Curtis Cup
Rory McIlroy. Photo by Maddie Meyer/PGA of America
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry dug deep to keep the leader in their sights in the RBC Canadian Open.
McIlroy made two birdies and two bogeys in his first 12 holes before rallying late at St. George's Golf and Country Club in Toronto with two birdies in his last four to card a two-under 68.
Despite struggling with his wedges, he ended his day tied for second on six-under with Alex Smalley, Keith Mitchell and Matt Fitzpatrick on six-under-par, one shot behind Wyndham Clark, who shot 70.
“I think the course is playing a little tougher today, a little breezier,” McIlroy said after a par save at the last.
”It was hard to get the ball close and it felt like I was scrambling most of the day there but when I put myself in position to make birdies, I did."
He has former rugby player Niall O’Connor on his bag as his regular caddie, Harry Diamond awaits the birth of his second child at home.
“He caddied for me a couple of years ago when Harry had his first child,’ McIlroy said. “He caddied for me in Dubai and that's the reason Harry's not here this week, he's having a second child. He'll hopefully be on the bag next week at the U.S. Open.
Fitzpatrick, who was four-under for the day and 10-under with five holes to go before fading to a 69, was playing alongside Lowry.
The Clara man was two-over after seven holes but birdied the ninth, 10th and 11th, then erased a bogey at the 13th by brushing in a 20 footer at the 15th en route to a 69 that left him just four behind Clark in a tie for eighth.
With just a week to go to the US Open, golf remains at war with Bryson DeChambeau dealing the PGA TOUR a blow by officially signing for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series.
His decision to join Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson on the breakaway tour means three of the top seven on the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Programme have been lured away by the Saudi millions.
The 2020 US Open champion (28)—fifth on that PIP list of PGA TOUR needle-movers last year behind Tiger Woods, Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth —is the most significant big draw to jump ship.
His signing was made public during the second round of the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational London, where Charl Schwartzel added a 66 to his opening 65 to lead by three shots from compatriot Hennie DuPlessis on nine-under in the race for the biggest first prize in the history of golf - $4 million.
CEO Greg Norman is thrilled DeChambeau will be the big attraction for LIV’s second event at Pumpkin Ridge in Portland from June 28-30.
"Bryson DeChambeau is an exciting addition to LIV Golf's supercharged style of play," Norman said. "The power and energy he brings to the course will deliver added electricity to our competition in Portland and beyond."
DeChambeau's signing comes just four months after releasing a statement declaring his loyalty to the PGA TOUR.
Who will be next to make the jump and how many more top players leave the PGA TOUR is the question now.
"The more, the merrier," two-time major winner Martin Kaymer said. "I don't know how the field will look in Portland, but if you can play against more players who are up there in the World Rankings, and it's also proof that this tour here and this tournament is going in the right direction."
According to the Daily Telegraph, Johnson has applied to the DP World Tour for membership, in an attempt to draw CEO Keith Pelley into either siding with his strategic partners, the PGA TOUR, or going it alone.
While the USGA is allowing any qualified player to tee it up in the US Open at Brookline next week, what the DP World Tour, the R&A and Augusta National will do remains to be seen.
Giving the lie to his DP World Tour application, Johnson insists his plan was to play “the LIV events and a few majors and that's it”, adding, “the whole reason I started playing on LIV is to play less golf, not more.”
Meanwhile, Australian Jason Scrivener (33) reeled off eight birdies on a bogey-free 64 to lead Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed at halfway,
He’s two strokes clear of Italian amateur Carolina Melgrati, Sweden’s Linn Grant and France’s Mike Lorenzo Vera on 12-under with defending champion Jonathan Caldwell 10 shot back after a 71 as Olivia Mehaffey missed the cut by six after a 77.
On the LPGA Tour, Leona Maguire has her work cut out to make the cut in the Shoprite LPGA Classic in Atlantic City.
After finishing a career-best tied eighth in last week’s US Women’s Open, the Co Cavan star (27) opened with a two-over 73 at Seaview to share 90th, eight shots behind Australia’s Stephanie Kyriacou.
In the Empordà Challenge in Girona, Ruaidhri McGee (31) returned to the Challenge Tour for the first time in nearly two years and carded nine birdies in a course record, eight-under 62 to move up to 21st on two-under.
He’s six shots behind Sweden’s Jens Dantorp, who equalled McGee’s 62 to lead by a shot from Spain’s Nacho Elvira with John Murphy the best of the Irish in a tie for ninth on four-under after another 68.
In the Curtis Cup, Great Britain and Ireland trail the USA 5-1 after the opening day at Merion.
They lost the opening fourballs 2-1 with Caley McGinty and Lauren Walsh beaten 3&2 by Amari Avery and Megha Ganne.
Walsh sat out the foursomes but GB&I lost all three matches, never taking a match beyond the 16th.
Meanwhile, the AIG Irish Women's Amateur Close gets underway at Grange today with the top 32 after 36 holes going through to the matchplay tomorrow.
Lahinch’s Aine Donegan is hoping her membership at Dromoland Castle will pay off when she begins her quest for the title.
The Irish international tees it up alongside Clandeboye’s Rebekah Gardner and Knock’s Katie Poots.
“The competitions are different in the States compared to home as it is more of a team aspect compared to this week's tournament which is more individualised,” said Donegan, who recently completed her first year at Indiana University.
“I’m hoping to play well in the strokeplay and get a high seeding to give me confidence heading into the match play.”
Donegan is just home from playing the NCAA Regional Championship in Michigan and while links is her natural element, she’s spent time practising at Dromoland Castle looking to re-familiarise herself with parkland golf ahead of the challenge on James Braid’s Rathfarnham design.
“It’s a lot windier over here compared to Indiana,” she said. “I love playing links when I'm home, but I’ve been playing in Dromoland to keep up parkland practice ahead of playing in Grange.”
She was second to Kirkistown Castle’s Beth Coulter, who is second reserve for this weekend’s Curtis Cup at Merion, in qualifying at Ballybunion last year but
While reigning champion Anna Foster from Elm Park is an absentee, there’s a high-quality, 72-strong field of all ages in action from two-time British Senior Open Amateur champion Laura Webb from Cairndhu to Roscommon’s Olivia Costello (14), who was a beaten semi-finalist at Ballybunion last year.
Kirkistown Castle’s Beth Coulter, who is second reserve for this weekend’s Curtis Cup at Merion, partners 2018 champion Sara Byrne from Douglas and Canice Screene.
The Championship begins with two rounds of strokeplay qualifying today with the top 32 qualifying for the matchplay and the next 16 contesting the Ita Wallace Plate.
The action concludes with the semi-finals and finals on Tuesday.
