Rory McIlroy admits to being a leaderboard watcher. Always has been.
So he knows exactly where he stands going into Sunday’s final round of the Tour Championship. McIlroy is just two strokes behind leaders Dustin Johnson and Kevin Chappell after he shot a bogey-free 4-under par 66 Saturday at East Lake Golf Club.
“I like to see where I’m at in relation to everyone else,” McIlroy said. “So I was looking out there and watching. I knew the only person I really need to watch this week is (Johnson). I want to see where he is.”
McIlroy is paying particular attention to Johnson because he needs some help if he is to win the elusive FedEx Cup title. Johnson entered the finale of the PGA Tour playoffs first in the point standings. McIlroy was sixth even with a win at the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second of four playoff events. He came to Atlanta just outside the top five, those players who control their own fate with a victory. In simplest form, McIlroy needs to win the Tour Championship and have Johnson finish in a tie for second or worse to claim the FedEx Cup title and the $10 million prize. There are mathematical possibilities for McIlroy to win with a second-place finish but they are slim.
“I felt like every time he made a mistake, he bounced right back with a birdie,” McIlroy said of Johnson. “That isn’t even me looking at the coverage. It’s me looking at the leaderboard. I’m thinking ‘Yeah, I’m getting closer’ and he gets another birdie. Everyone knows where they are. You have to pass your time some way between shots. Golf, there’s a lot of things you can think about between shots. So I have to look at what’s going on.”
McIlroy has been here before playing with a realistic chance at the FedEx Cup title. In 2012 he entered the Tour Championship first in points after playoff wins at the Deutsche Bank and Barclays championships. He tied for 10th. In 2014, he was fourth in the point standings but ended up tied for second. McIlroy tied for 16th last year.
McIlroy’s putter has balked for much of the year. It behaved with his playoff win. Coming into the Tour Championship, McIlroy said his swing was not cooperating. He opened the tournament with rounds of 68 and 70 to stand at 2-under par and tied for fifth.
Some range work was in order after Friday’s round. It paid off. Just don’t call it a quick fix.
McIlroy worked with his coach, using video, to get his upper and lower body in sync, he said. McIlroy hit 9 of 14 fairways and a tournament-best 17 of 18 greens in regulation.
“I think it’s something I’m going to have to continue to work on past this week, but it’s definitely something I needed to address,” McIlroy said. “… So much better golf swing today and I think that obviously is related to what I did last night on the range.”
