Rory McIlroy slams ‘pathetic’ putting

– Rory McIlroy crashes out of the US PGA Championship
– Second time since 2010 he’s missed two major cuts in a year
– Says it’s ‘back to the drawing board’ after woeful putting

Rory McIlroy slammed a ‘pathetic’ putting performance as he crashed out of the US PGA Championship.

Needing to birdie the final hole to make the cut, the four-time major winner made bogey to drop to four-over-par, joining the likes of Dustin Johnson, Shane Lowry, Sergio Garcia and Graeme McDowell in exiting Baltusrol after two rounds.

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And the differences in his statistics were stark. Rory McIlroy ranked No.1 in strokes gained off the tee but was an incredible No.151 (156 players in the field) in strokes gained putting, leaving absolutely no doubt about where his current troubles lie.

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“Tee to green was good, but it was just pathetic when I got onto the green,” said Rory McIlroy. “I’m driving the ball well, hitting good iron shots. I think if you had given anyone else on this field my tee shots this week, they would’ve been up near the top of the leaderboard. It just shows you how bad I was around the greens.

“It’s really disheartening. As I said, I need to go back to the drawing board and see where we go from here.”

For Rory McIlroy, it marks the first time since 2010 that he’s missed two major cuts in a calendar year, following on from his US Open disappointment at Oakmont.

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Amid Rory McIlroy’s struggles, Robert Streb made arguably one of the quietest rounds of 63 ever as he joined Jimmy Walker at the top of the leaderboard on nine-under-par, two shots clear of Emiliano Grillo and Jason Day.

The American became the 28th person in the 63 club, joining soon after Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson’s efforts at the Open.

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“Happy to join the club that seems to be ever-growing,” he said. “Just trying not to get too hung up on what’s going on and trying to stick to the golf and see if I can have a little fun while I’m at it.”

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Defending champion Jason Day made seven birdies in eight holes as he recovered from a shaky start to his second round to be well in contention heading into the weekend at Baltusrol.

The Aussie was two-over for his round after a double-bogey at the seventh but hit back with the sensational run from the eighth to the 15th holes to rocket up the leaderboard and be in the penultimate group on Saturday.

“I kind of gave myself a little kick in the bum after that double-bogey,” he said. “I kept setting myself up for opportunities and even when I was out of position, I had perfect angles, which was nice.”

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Open champion Henrik Stenson is also well in the mix heading into the weekend and is just three shots off the lead.

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“I’m very happy to be able to follow up the success of Troon with a couple of strong rounds here and be in good position,” he said. “We know it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It’s about being there on Sunday afternoon and so far, so good.”

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Rory McIlroy :: Back to the drawing board?

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