Republished with full copyrights permissions obtained from the Sports Today Magazine.

Rory McIlroy, known for being one of the best drivers of the golf ball in the game, faced some challenges during the second round of the BMW Championship. Despite his immense talent, McIlroy’s accuracy off the tee was not up to par, leaving him with a mediocre performance.

During the second round of the BMW Championship, McIlroy finished right where he started, at 5-under for the tournament, after carding an even-par 70. Although he mentioned hitting it a little better off the tee, he admitted to a couple of big misses at holes 7 and 15. Nevertheless, he felt that his overall play didn’t differ significantly from the previous day when he shot an impressive 5-under 65.

On the first day of the championship, McIlroy managed to shoot a remarkable 65 despite hitting just three fairways. The highlight of his round was a miraculous ‘hit and hope’ birdie at the par-4 17th, which put him in a share of the lead. However, on the following day, McIlroy found himself five shots behind the leader, Max Homa, who set a course record. McIlroy did improve his fairway accuracy, hitting six fairways in total, but often found himself in poor positions off the tee.

One of the holes that exemplified McIlroy’s struggles was the par-4 7th, where he pushed his tee-shot miles right of the fairway. Although fortunate to escape with a par, thanks to a successful eight-foot putt, it highlighted the impact of his inaccuracies. Similarly, at the par-5 15th, a tee shot sent deep into the woods right of the fairway forced McIlroy into a penalty drop, resulting in his first bogey of the championship.

The soft conditions at Olympia Fields, aided by over two inches of rain, seemed to cushion the impact of McIlroy’s inaccuracies. Despite his wayward tee shots, he wasn’t penalized as severely as he might have been on firmer fairways. As McIlroy mentioned, some greens presented the challenge of lacking spin even from the fairway. He expressed hope that the course would firm up, requiring players to be more accurate in hitting fairways.

When McIlroy did find the fairway, he had the opportunity to attack the flagstick. However, the instances were few, including a remarkable tee shot on the 10th hole that showcased his prowess off the tee. Yet, his second shot at the 10th, landing once and spinning off the front of the green, exemplified missed birdie opportunities resulting from the lack of control off the tee. It is clear that McIlroy needs to find more fairways to trailblaze his way up the leaderboard and challenge the leader, Max Homa.

Rory McIlroy’s accuracy off the tee was a significant factor in his second-round performance at the BMW Championship. Although he showcased his remarkable skills on a few occasions, his inconsistent drives hindered his ability to dominate the course. As the tournament progresses, McIlroy must prioritize finding fairways if he aims to close the gap and compete for victory.

This post “Rory McIlroy Struggles with Accuracy at the BMW Championship” was published with full copyrights permissions obtained from the Sports Today Magazine.