The Open 2017: McIlroy ‘very happy’ with second-round 68

Here’s a look back at McIlroy’s four major successes…

World No. 3 Spieth, though, thinks the traditional Open weather lottery could discount half the field straight away. He started the tournament Thursday by making five bogeys in the first six holes, then, to the surprise of just about everyone, he played the next 30 holes in 6 under par. But, for the first time since the 2015 Masters, he’s legitimately in the mix going into the weekend at a major.

So who will be Spieth’s biggest challenger heading into the weekend?

“And it’s nearly impossible to win in that circumstance”.

“Because you’re like, ‘I can’t shoot those scores”.

Kuchar mixed four bogeys with three birdies to keep the morning challengers at bay. “What the f*** are you doing?”. “Just not as much belief in myself as I should have had”, said the 28-year-old, who won the tournament in 2014. It’s been awesome having him here for three weeks; he’s excitable and it makes it even more special.

“Yes, I’m watching the tennis, but I’m watching him more than anything, and seeing what I can pick up”.

“But, again, golf is so fluid and so you’re always trying to evolve. I thought that would have an effect on me”, he added.

After spending the last few weeks insisting his game is “close” despite his poor results saying otherwise – and after joking that the gamblers should back him this week – McIlroy was going the wrong way early in his opening round.

England’s Paul Casey, celebrating his 40th birthday by wearing shoes with PC on one heel and 40 on the other, began the day one off the lead at four under but five bogeys saw him go out in 39 and another at the 13th left him two over for the tournament.

The Royal Birkdale rough was in three sections. “So I must have aimed 30 yards left of the pin into the crowd, hit a shot, started at the crowd, and stayed at the crowd for a long time before finally the last, I’d say, 20 yards started drifting over, and ended up in the middle of the green”.

‘I went out and believed in myself from the first tee shot, hit it within 60 yards of the green and went from there.

Case on point: There’s a valuable lesson to be learned from Rory McIlroy’s last two days at Royal Birkdale.

As the conditions got tougher, Spieth got stronger. It was just a round of golf.

The big surprise was the performance of 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen who battled his way to a disastrous eight-over 78 which included a forgettable back nine 42.

McIlroy hasn’t missed the cut at consecutive majors since 2010 (Masters, U.S. Open) and is taking confidence from winning the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston in September past year after being 4 over through three holes. I don’t need to win.

“So much imagination that goes into it”. You’ve really got to be creative.

8 July 2017; Padraig Harrington of Ireland on the 3rd tee during Day 3 of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Golf Championship at Portstewart Golf Club in Portstewart, Co Derry. McIlroy had one of the best rounds of the day, shooting a 2-under 68. You have to drive it well.