Rory McIlroy attacks but Wyndham Clark maintains Canadian Open lead

Rory McIlroy attacks but Wyndham Clark maintains Canadian Open lead

Web Desk
June 11, 2022

Rory McIlroy attacks but Wyndham Clark maintains Canadian Open lead

Clark maintains at the Canadian Open.
McIlroy has won four major titles so far.
Clark seeks his debut US PGA Tour title.

Rory McIlroy surged into contention, but Wyndham Clark maintained a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Canadian Open on the US PGA Tour on Friday.

After 36 holes at St George’s Golf and Country Club in suburban Toronto, world number 293 Clark, who led by one stroke after the first day, with a score of seven-under 133.

“Overall I played really good. I felt really confident with my game,” Clark said. “I had some little mishaps coming in, but other than that I played some great golf for 36 holes. If I do that again, I’ll have a great chance come Sunday.”

Rory McIlroy, the 2019 winner and defending champion after Covid-19 prompted a two-year pause, birdied two of the final four holes to shoot 68 and tie for second with England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick and Americans Keith Mitchell, Jim Knous, and Alex Smalley on 134.

Four-time major champion McIlroy made an eight-foot birdie putt on the par-5 15th, a 23-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th, and a four-foot par putt on the final hole.

“Overall it was a good score,” McIlroy said. “I scrambled well when I needed to. I didn’t really take advantage of how well I hit it off the tee. But overall I felt a couple under was a fair reflection of how the day went.”

Fitzpatrick, who was rated seventeenth, led by two strokes before committing a double bogey on the fourteenth and bogeys on the last three holes.

“Just didn’t hole the putts I needed to on the last three,” Fitzpatrick said. “Just pathetic. Yeah, just pathetic finish really with the putter.

“Disappointing finish, but definitely not out of it.”

The seven-time winner on the DP World Tour seeks his first PGA title after finishing tied for fifth at the PGA Championship last month for his best major finish.

Clark, age 28, also seeks his first US PGA triumph, with the best performance of runner-up at the Bermuda Championship in 2020.

Clark only hit eight greens in regulation, but his short game and putting were “great.”