McIlroy relieved after ball somehow skims water and stays dry at Travelers
The Irishman sits four back from joint leaders Tommy Fleetwood, Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas after a battling second round in Connecticut. But his back-nine revival could have been significantly derailed if not for a stunning stroke of luck on the penultimate hole.
He driven off target and found the right fairway bunker McIlroy took on a treacherous second with water snaking the right side of the fairway. With 156 yards to carry to the hole, McIlroy hit out of the bunker only to see his ball splash down in the lake, skipped and spin forward, somehow staying dry. He had an unlikely chance to get up and down for a par, but saw his 13-foot putt slide by.
That bogey was McIlroy's fifth of the day but four birdies, three of which came after the turn, softened the damage as his gritty 71 in windy conditions at TPC River Highlands kept him on 5-under, four back from the star trio atop the leaderboard.
'The ball on 17, I was on the downslope in the bunker and I was afraid of hitting it fat and just hitting it straight into the water in front of me. I caught it a little skinny, and thankfully it skipped through, and I still made a bogey, but it probably saved me a shot by skipping out," said a relieved McIlroy. 'It was a little fortunate.'
McIlroy insists he's still firmly in the hunt for a fourth victory of the season after a frustrating, fractious spell in the wake of completing the career grand slam in April.
'To get it back somewhat close to even par for the day was good. I battled well. I hit some good shots and held it together when it could have got away from me early in the round,' McIlroy said. '
'I don't feel like I'm too far away again. The conditions today definitely bunched the entire field together, and should make for an exciting weekend.'
Fleetwood is pleased with the way he bounced back from his US Open disappointment after firing himself into contention for his first PGA Tour win.
The 34-year-old had a brilliant final four holes at the last Signature Event of the season with two eagles and a birdie, with another putt at the last brushing the hole.
But his round of 65 put him into a share of the lead on nine under with world number one and defending champions Scheffler and two-time major winner Thomas.
Fleetwood, who has not won anywhere in almost 18 months, has had four PGA Tour top-10s this season but missed his first cut of the year at Oakmont last week.
"You do quite a lot of sulking and then look at what you can do to improve. Very disappointed last week," he told Sky Sports.
"I've been having a good season and I felt like my game was in a really good place going into last week.
"For whatever reason - I'll never understand the game - I played really poor but in golf there is always another week and this week is a big week.
"I came out motivated to take whatever there is to learn to make you better for the coming weeks and so far this week I'm happy with how I bounced back."
Fleetwood's round was going nowhere with one birdie and one bogey through 12 holes until he hit a superb 261-yard approach to the par-five 13th and holed his nine-footer for eagle.
He then chipped in from the front of the drivable 299-yard 15th for eagle and picked up another shot after hitting his tee shot to 12ft at the next.
At the last he managed only a 205-yard drive after his ball caught a tree but drilled a nine-wood to 11ft from 226 yards but could not close out with a birdie.
"I would have loved to have holed the putt but I'd take four after that tee shot," added Fleetwood, for whom the £2.6million first prize would boost his Ryder Cup prospects as he currently sits a place out of the top-six automatic qualifiers.
Shane Lowry laboured to a 3-over 73 where precious little was dropping for the Offaly man. After an opening 72 Lowry was chasing second-round momentum but bogeyed his third hole then found plenty of trouble after the turn bogeying three-straight holes. His lone birdie of the day came on the 15th.
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