Rory McIlroy finished the Truist Championship at 5-under par. His 4-over-par third round ultimately proved costly. Despite the result, he remains confident heading into next week. McIlroy feels his work on the range was enough to iron out the bad habits he picked up at Quail Hollow because of the left-to-right wind.
On the same day McIlroy struggled, another new PGA Tour member quickly climbed the leaderboard. Alex Fitzpatrick led the field by one stroke after Saturday. On Sunday, McIlroy revealed that, besides him, his father Gerry might also have been cheering for the 27-year-old—all because Fitzpatrick had been Gerry’s guest only a few weeks earlier.
“He’s a great player, fearless,” McIlroy said of Fitzpatrick. “He actually played with my dad a couple of weeks ago at Seminole (a private club located in Juno Beach, Florida). He played the Walker Cup at Seminole as well. So we’ve gotten to know all the Fitzpatricks well. Yeah, cheering for him this afternoon. He was my dad’s guest.”
That is actually a surprising reveal. McIlroy is 37 years old, while Fitzpatrick is 10 years younger and not exactly part of his immediate peer group. For Gerry to invite him as a guest, he must have been genuinely impressed by his game.
Rory McIlroy is Suffering From a Foot Blister
GettyRory McIlroy is suffering from a right foot issue.
McIlroy also spoke about a right foot issue that has been bothering him since Friday. He developed a blister under the nail on his pinky toe. However, he assured the media on Sunday that it is not a major concern, did not affect his game over the weekend and will not impact him next week either.
The only issue is that he cannot immediately treat it because the blister is under the nail. As a result, the area has become sore, something he simply has to manage for now.
Rory McIlroy’s Preparation Ahead of the PGA Championship
McIlroy is eager to head home after the week at Quail Hollow and continue his preparation.
“I’m going to go home tonight, which will be nice, spend a night in my own bed and practice at home tomorrow,” he said. “Try to, you know, just sort of continue that feel and bring that up to Philadelphia for the rest of the week.”
He is confident about overcoming the issues he faced at the Truist Championship because he dealt with similar problems before Augusta. His tendency to miss left has troubled him quite a bit, but he has learned how to manage it well.
GettyRory McIlroy feels confident ahead of the PGA Championship.
“I just have to be aware of it, and I was much more aware of it and did a better job of managing it today,” McIlroy said on Sunday. “I think just trying to find a right-to-left wind at the Bear’s Club and hitting a few balls usually straightens it out for me.”
The 2018 BMW Championship was held at Aronimink, so McIlroy is familiar with the course. He finished fifth that year at 18-under par, but one thing will be different this time around. The course is not wet, meaning the greens will play much faster.
The two-time Masters champion has already visited the course. “It was nice to get an early look at it,” McIlroy said afterward.
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