BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — Rory McIlroy finally made a mistake, and even that wasn’t enough to make this U.S. Open a fair fight.
For 17 holes Friday, McIlroy systematically dissected the monstrous layout at Congressional and put the same kind of hurt on a U.S. Open record book that doesn’t change easily.
The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland made double bogey to finish the day but by then, the damage had been done. He shot 5-under-par 66 to head into the weekend at 11-under 131, setting the record for the best 36-hole score in the 111-year history of the tournament. Complete US Open Leaderboard
“To look at the day, the last two days, as an overall picture, it’s been pretty good,” McIlroy said. “I’ve played some of the best golf I’ve ever played. I’m converting a lot of my chances and not really putting myself in too much trouble, and that’s really been the key.”
His 36-hole score was one shot better than Ricky Barnes at Bethpage in 2009 and the gap would’ve been bigger had McIlroy not hooked his drive on 18 into the trees and knocked the recovery shot into the water left of the green. He made double-bogey there – a bummer of a way to close a round that had been virtually error free up until then. more