Rory McIlroy made a commendable comeback in the second round of the RBC Canadian Open, positioning himself well for a potential third consecutive title win. Despite the ongoing controversy surrounding the PGA Tour’s merger with LIV Golf, McIlroy displayed a flawless performance with a score of 67 at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Ontario. His five birdies brought his overall score to six under par, placing him just three shots behind the current leader, China’s Carl Yuan.
McIlroy, currently ranked third in the world, first clinched victory at the Canadian Open in 2019, dominating the field by a seven-shot lead. Unfortunately, the tournament was canceled in both 2020 and 2021 due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. It was at St George’s where McIlroy triumphed last year with an impressive closing score of 62.
When asked about his chances of winning the title for a third time on a different course, McIlroy expressed his positive outlook: “I sort of like it. I like reacting to what I’m seeing out there and targets. And I’m not a great player at playing a course by memory.”
McIlroy’s devoted fans were present at the event, packing the stands to watch him tee off at the hockey-themed 14th tee. He seemed to thrive under the support of his supporters.
The current leader, Carl Yuan, holds a one-shot lead over home favorite Corey Conners, C.T. Pan, and English players Tyrrell Hatton and Aaron Rai. Hatton, who produced a remarkable run of six birdies in seven holes during his round of 64, commented on the challenges presented by the greens: “The greens were a bit funky this afternoon; I managed to hit my start line, they’d bobble off line and thankfully they bobbled back on line and went in. Just happy to see the ball go in the hole and have a decent day.”
Rai, on the other hand, had a slow start in his opening round, finding himself three over par after six holes. However, he showed great mental strength and turned the game around by playing the next 30 holes 11 under par. Speaking about his mindset during the challenging beginning, he said: “It’s a funny game, and you can sometimes be playing great but sometimes be doubtful in the mind and not feel amazing over certain shots. You can sometimes be playing quite poorly but then kind of flick a switch in the mind and feel very positive about what you’re doing and what’s to come.”
The week has not been without difficulties for McIlroy, as an unnamed executive from LIV Golf took a cheap shot at him amidst the merger talks with the PGA Tour. However, McIlroy has remained steadfast in his opposition to the Saudi-backed league, expressing his hope for it to disappear in the future. While acknowledging the potential for a team aspect in the future, McIlroy does not believe it will resemble the LIV format.
As for the future of LIV Golf, it seems uncertain whether it will simply fade away. Companies such as Marriott, Anheuser-Busch, and ESPN have shown interest in partnerships after the merger received approval from the PGA Tour. Even Fox, despite initially declining to broadcast the rebel tour’s events, has shown interest.
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