RORY MCILROY HAS powered his way to a share of the lead on day two of the BMW Championship in Chicago.
The Holywood man sits top of the leaderboard on one-under with US golfer Patrick Cantlay after carding a round two 69 to add to his opening day 70.
McIlroy looks to have finally found his pre-Covid lockdown form at the Olympia Fields course, in blistering hot conditions.
And the four time major winner is putting it down to his new-found driver and putter, as he heads into heads the the weekend rounds of the penultimate event of the 2019/20 season as a long overdue genuine threat to his rivals — looking for a first taste of success in 2020.
“I’ve driven the ball much better over the last couple of days,” McIlroy said, as quoted by Sky Sports. “That’s a huge key to my game. If I can drive the ball well, everything seems a bit easier from there.
“I put my old putter back in the bag and I felt a little more comfortable over the sort of inside-10-feet range, so that felt better. Overall, everything was pretty good.
“My iron play and my wedge play has been pretty good the last few weeks, it’s just about putting the ball in the fairway so I can take advantage of how well I’m hitting my irons and my wedges.
I think the test is what’s helped me focus and concentrate. Just one lapse in concentration can really cost you around here. I think one of the big keys this week is just not making big numbers.
“I’ve been making big numbers for the last few weeks, so if you hit it out of position, get it back in position, make sure that your worst score is a bogey and move on. Honestly, bogeys aren’t that bad out here.”
“It was better today and it’s been better these two days as I think I have gained a shot-and-a-half on the field off the tee yesterday,” he also told reporters on his ‘new’ driver.
“I don’t what it will be today but I hit some really good drives which is a lot different the last two weeks where I lost strokes on the field with my driver last week and also at the PGA Championship.
“So, I went home last Sunday night and tested different drivers, different set-ups and different heads and shafts, and actually managed to decide on a driver I used back in Connecticut for the Travellers and it’s worked really well, so far.
I also made some comments last week where I found it hard to focus and concentrate but when you are presented with a set-up like the course like this then you have no other choice as you have to focus, you have to concentrate, and you have to think about every single shot.”
While Cantlay recorded a round of 68 today, first-round leader, Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, and Dustin Johnson are tied for third on even par.
Meanwhile, Tiger Woods is well down the leaderboard, tied for 55th on eight-over.
You can view the leaderboard in full here.
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