U.S. Open: McIlroy conquering Congressional
Friday, June 17, 2011 by Admin
Bethesda, Md. -- With an eagle at the par-4 eighth hole, first round leader Rory McIlroy continued his dismantling of Congressional Country Club during Friday’s play at the U.S. Open. Starting the day at 6-under, the 22-year-old from Northern Ireland birdied the fourth and sixth to add to the two-shot tally he made on eight by holing a pitching wedge from the fairway.
The eagle got McIlroy, who was flawless through 13 holes, to 10-under for the day -- until he birdied the 14th. McIlroy was absolutely lapping the field, with the next-closest golfers, Zach Johnson, Kyung-tae Kim, and Y.E. Yang, eight shots back. Johnson made his own eagle at the par-5 sixth.
Rory McIlroy raises his arms after stuffing an eagle on the 8th hole at Congressional CC during Friday's second round of the U.S. Open (Photo: Cannon/Getty Images)
Top amateur Peter Uihlein had the tourney’s sole eagle on opening day, finding the bottom of the cup on the fifth hole on Thursday, while Ty Tyron bombed a two on the par-4 first hole (his 10th of the second round). It was too little, too late for Tryon, however, as he was DFL at 18-over through 14 holes.
McIlroy’s playing partner, Phil Mickelson, finally found his way back to Congressional. After an atrocious 3-over on Thursday during a train-wreck of a round that could have been far worse but for his scrambling abilities, Mickelson canned back-to-back birdies on the fifth and sixth holes and added another at eight before bogeying the 11th. He got that back with another bird on 14, to move to even-par for the week.
The southpaw was certainly having a better time of it a day after his tee shots yesterday landed in far corners left, right, and everywhere but the fairway on a challenging layout he made far more difficult with his erratic shot-making.
"I can’t hit it any worse," Mickelson told Golf News following his horrendous Thursday.
Oh -- and this little tidbit from the PGA Tour: When McIlroy drilled his eagle, he became the first player to get to double digits under par during the second round of a U.S. Open. The closest Tiger Woods came to that feat was to hit 4-under at Pebble Beach in 2000, according to the tour.
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