Masters champion Rory Mcilroy is confronted with a tough fight to claim back-to-back large titles after an error with an error in the 107th US PGA Championship.
McIlroy struggled to a three-over-par 74 around clubhouse leaders Cam Davis and Ryan Gerard-a resident of North Carolina-with eight shots, with Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, surprisingly a shot next to Aaron Rai, Ryan Fox, Alex Smalley and Stephan Jaegeer.
Matt Fitzpatrick in England and Robert Macintyre from Scotland were a blow back on Three Under, next to the American Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and Tyrrell Hatton.
McIlroy’s play-off victory over Justin Rose in Augusta National in April had only made him the sixth male golfer to complete a career Grand Slam and gave him a fifth big title, one behind Sir Nick Faldo.
The world number two was also a strong imagination of Equal Faldos count at the first chance at Quail Hollow, a location where he won his first PGA Tour title in 2010 and since then demanded three victories, including last year.
McIlroy, who only hit three Fairways in regulations, was lucky not to find the water with a number of drawn tee -shots and did not surprisingly not spoke with the media before he went directly to the reach after his round.
McIlroy was one of the early starters of the 10th Tee and despite missing the fairway and the green on the par five descent, he threw from 10 feet before Birdie after a well -moved field.
That shot was immediately returned to the next with a disappointing three-putt before a quirky ride on the Par-Five 15th stopped just a few meters from the water, allowing McIlroy to hit a seven iron just shortly before the green and two putt for Birdie.
But after he had pulled a Tee shot on the 16th, the hindvoot of McIlroy slid out as he tried to put the ball back in the game and he missed the Green with his approach on his way to a double bogey matched by playing partners Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele.
McIlroy almost broke in for Birdie on the 17th before another Tee shot stopped on the 18th, just stopped briefly from the creek that runs the length of the hole, from where he could find the well surface and par.
Even when McIlroy found a fairway, as he did on the first, he hit his second shot in a greenside bunker and did not manage to get up and down, a disappointing round that came out with seven straight pars and another bogey on the ninth.
Scheffler and Schauffele both gave mud on their ball for pulling their second shots in the water on the 16th, but Scheffler fought back to record a semi-under-par 69, while Schaffele brought back a 72.
Donald, who is in 871st place in the world and only received an invitation because of his status as Captain of Ryder Cup, had reversed the years with his 67th only bogey-free round of the day while Fox and Smalley both got the most out of their late inputs in the event.
FOX insured its place in the field on Sunday by chipping the first play-off hole to win his first PGA Tour title in Myrtle Beach, while First Alternate Smalley came in on Wednesday afternoon when Sahith teagala withdrew due to an injury.
“I lost hope after every passing hour and you also hear about everyone’s ailments as the first alternative,” said Smalley.
“I was willing to be here all day if I didn’t come in yesterday afternoon or last night. I feel clear to Sahith, but it was nice to know for the morning that I was going to play, so that I could prepare mentally for that.”
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