Rory McIlroy battled the tough conditions at Royal County Down Golf Course to take the lead at the Amgen Irish Open, heading into the final round. The Northern Irish golfer shot a 69 on his home course, securing a one-stroke lead over Matteo Manassero. Conditions were “very, very difficult” on Saturday, September 14, but World No. 3 managed to rise to the challenge.
In the post-round press conference, McIlroy was asked what a victory on home soil would mean to him. He acknowledged that it “would be great” to win this week after a “sort of year” where he has some “close misses,” like narrowly missing out on winning the 2024 U.S. Open. He now looks forward to a strong finish at the Irish Open.
“It would be great. I talked about it at the start of the week. You know, after the sort of year that I’ve had and the close misses, it wouldn’t make up for all of it, but it would go a long way in putting a nice shine on 2024. I can’t get that far ahead of myself. I need to go out and play another very solid round tomorrow to try to get the job done. But I’m pleased with the first three days,” McIlroy said (via ASAP Sports).
McIlroy has been impressive throughout the week at the Irish Open and is in contention to win the title for the second time in his career. He had previously won the tournament in 2016 when he defeated Bradley Dredge and Russell Knox by three strokes.
“Today was hard”- Rory McIlroy on his third-round performance at the 2024 Irish Open
McIlroy had an impressive start at the Amgen Irish Open on Saturday, September 14, with an eagle on the first hole. He then added a bogey on the fifth hole before scoring birdies on the seventh and 13th holes.
He closed the day with a bogey on the 18th, finishing with a score of 2-under 69. In the post-round press conference, McIlroy reflected on his performance and the challenging conditions.
“Today was hard because there’s so many bunkers in your landing area off the tee. If you do hit a good tee shot away, the second shots, especially where that pin was in the back right today, that’s probably the toughest hole location on the hole. I just think everything sort of conspired for it to play as tough as it could play today,” McIlroy said (via ASAP Sports).
The final round of the 2024 Amgen Irish Open will take place on Sunday, September 15, starting at 2:21 a.m. ET (7:21 a.m. local time). McIlroy will pair up with Manassero for the final round, teeing off at 8:05 a.m. ET.
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Edited by Tushhita Barua
