Defending champions Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry will probably be gunning for birdies in the present day after they bogeyed their final two holes and three of their final six to seek out themselves six pictures off the lead at midway within the Zurich Traditional of New Orleans.
The Irish duo bought off to an incredible begin and had been six-under via 12 holes and simply two pictures behind leaders Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin, who shot a six-under 66 to set the goal at 16-under.
However they fluffed two chips and bogeyed the thirteenth, then bogeyed the final two holes after unforced errors to card a three-under 69 that left them tied for sixteenth on 11-under, six pictures behind Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo.
The rookies added a 69 to their opening 58 to guide by a shot from Novak and Griffin heading into in the present day’s fourballs..
“We had been six beneath via 12 in the present day and cruising after which, you realize, a little bit of a nasty end,” McIlroy mentioned. “However we did not really feel like we performed that badly to have the end that we did. Couple of free pictures right here.
“Tomorrow, it will be laborious to remain affected person, as a result of within the fourball format, you simply must attempt to make as many birdies as you’ll be able to.
“However we all know that we’re actually good on the foursomes format. which we confirmed that in the present day for essentially the most half. “So if we are able to climb again into rivalry inside a couple of pictures of lead going into Sunday, we really feel like we’ll be in a very good place.”
Lowry hit an excellent method to arrange and eagle three on the second however after a bogey on the third, McIlroy birdied the fourth to get them going once more
On the par-five seventh, Lowry recovered from heavy tough to arrange one other birdie, then pitched useless after a 342-yard McIlroy drive on the eighth to arrange one other as they turned in four-under 32.
They birdied the tenth and twelfth to go six beneath for the day and right into a tie for second however on the thirteenth, each fluffed chips they usually dropped a shot to slide again to 13-under
They wanted a scorching end to shut the hole on the leaders however went backwards as a substitute with three bogeys of their final six holes.
Lowry fanned his tee shot proper on the 212 yard seventeenth and McIlroy fluffed the pitch, main to a different bogey.
They’d an opportunity to complete on a excessive on the par-five 18th however McIlroy hit a tree along with his drive, forcing Lowry to put up.McIlroy couldn’t hit their third shut, nevertheless, pulling it left of the inexperienced from the place they took three to get down.Lowry was nonetheless upbeat on the end.
“Effectively, I am having fun with myself enjoying from about 340 down the center of each fairway,” he joked, including that the crew occasion was a nice however aggressive break from the monotony of particular person strokeplay.
“I’ve had a good time to date this week,” Lowry added. “Look, we’re clearly disenchanted. I really feel like 11-under is the worst rating we may very well be for 2 days proper now with our end yesterday and in the present day.
“However I really feel like if we are able to go low tomorrow and get into the 20s beneath par, and get after it, then on Sunday, we confirmed in the present day, foursomes is our factor and we are able to make floor on the sector there.”
On the Legends Tour, Paul McGinley opened with a one-under 70 in his first begin this yr within the Barbados Legends hosted by Ian Woosnam.
He was tied for sixteenth, 5 pictures behind Scotland’s David Drysdale and South Africa’s James Kingston.
Within the Mitsubishi Electrical Traditional on the PGA Tour Champions, Darren Clarke shot a stage par 72 to share thirty seventh, ten pictures behind chief Jerry Kelly.
Padraig Harrington was joint forty eighth after a 73 at TPC Sugarloaf.
