Rory McIlroy is looking forward to not seeing his clubs for a week and recharging for the FedExCup Playoffs after closing with a third successive 66 in WGC FedEx St Jude Invitational in Memphis.
After struggling to a two-over 72 in the first round on his arrival from finishing fourth in the Tokyo Olympics, the world No 12 fired a brace of 66s before reeling off five birdies in a blistering outward half of 30 shots at TPC Southwind last night.
He cooled off on the back nine, mixing eight pars with a bogey at the 13th to finish just outside the top 10 but remains inside the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings who will battle for the $15 million jackpot at the Tour Championship next month.
“I feel like it’s a week of what could’ve been,” said McIlroy who skips this week’s Wyndham Championship where Séamus Power reappears alongside Pádraig Harrington but will reappear for the first Playoff event, the Northern Trust at Liberty National, next week.
“I saw a stat that 12 of the 13 guys who played the Olympics last week lost their threeball matches on the first day. So jet-lag was a pretty apparent thing. But once I shook that off, I played well the rest of the week.
“The last few days I shot 66s but it could’ve been anything – it could’ve been 62 or 61. The game is there, I am feeling really good and I’m looking forward to a week off before getting back at it for the playoffs.”
He has no plans to see coach Pete Cowen, however, adding: “I don’t want to see my golf clubs until I get to New York.”
As for Shane Lowry, the Offaly man made five birdies, three bogeys and a double-bogey in a 70 to finish just outside the top 20 on six-under.
Meanwhile, Niall Kearney took another giant step towards earning his European Tour card when he closed with back-to-back 66s to clinch his second top-10 finish of the season in the Hero Open at Fairmont St Andrews.
The Dubliner (33) tied for eighth on 16-under par, eight shots behind maiden winner Grant Forrest (28) of Scotland, who birdied the last two holes to shoot 66 and win by a shot on 24-under from England’s James Morrison.
Kearney is now inside the top 127 in the Race to Dubai who will have full cards next year. and he’s looking forward to pushing on after notching a top-10 finish without playing his very best golf.
“I’m getting to play almost every week and I am hitting the ball well and my form seems to be quite good,” said Kearney, who will play the Cazoo Classic and the D+D Real Czech Masters over the next two weeks
“Hopefully I can keep on going and get myself up there in the Race to Dubai as well. I didn’t hit the ball very well they’re off the tee on the back nine so I’ve a little bit of work to do over the next couple of days.”
Jonathan Caldwell tied for 30th on 11-under after a 73 while Gavin Moynihan had his best European Tour finish for 20 months after a 68 left him tied 48th on seven-under.
On the Challenge Tour, Denmark’s Marcus Helligkilde shot 71 to win the Vierumaki Finnish Challenge by two shots on 23-under with Naas’ Jonathan Yates the best of the Irish in joint 25th on eight-under after a 69.
Kinsale’s John Murphy was 34th on seven-under after a 70 with Robin Dawson two shots further back after a 71.
Paul McBride was 47th on four-under after a 73 with James Sugrue 54th after a 72 and Conor O’Rourke 63rd on level-par after a 70.