Rory McIlroy climbed atop the leaderboard at Congaree Golf Club during the seesaw third round of the 2022 CJ Cup in South Carolina. McIlroy could hold on to Sunday’s victory to top the Official World Golf Rankings for the ninth time in his career, but the Northern Irishman has plenty of pursuers in his rearview mirrors. It’s not easy because
Sitting at 13-under, McIlroy shot out of the gate with a birdie and an eagle on the first four holes on Saturday. Fast-tracking last night’s leaders Jon Rahm and Kurt Kitayama, McIlroy stepped on the gas when an unlikely eagle chance off the green of the par-5 12th hole found the bottom of the cup. continued to step in.
McIlroy, who played three par-5s at 5-under in the third round, hit two bogeys on the final six holes and fell back slightly, giving him room for error. Waiting for him are Lahm, Kitayama, and KH Lee, who finished the day at 12 under with a 5 under 66.
Right behind the leaderboard are many young stars including Cam Davis, Aaron Wise and Tom Kim. Quietly at work on Saturday, the 20-year-old has kept in touch with his playing mates at his nine unders for his first two days, his third victory in the last six tournaments. I am aiming for
leader
1. Rory McIlroy (-13)
Words may not be enough to describe exactly what McIlroy has been up to in the world of golf over the past year. Lacking adjectives, the 33-year-old continues to impress in his debut of his season on the PGA Tour this week to successfully defend his CJ Cup crown from Las Vegas in 2021. lining up.
Ranked 14th in the world earlier in the week, McIlroy’s rise to the top of the game was simply incredible. He has teed 22 times around the world while achieving 19 Top 20 finishes, 11 Top 5 finishes and Top 10 finishes. He’s clearly the best player in the world right now and has a chance to officially establish himself on the PGA Tour on Sunday with his 23rd title.
Other Candidates
T2. Jon Rahm, KH Lee, Kurt Kitayama (-12)
T5. Aaron Weisz and Taylor Moore (-10)
T7. Tom Kim and Brendon Todd (-9)
T9. Cam Davis, Tom Hoge, Maverick McNealy, Tommy Fleetwood (-8)
Saturday’s round would have been an easy run away from the 36-hole leader as Rahm experienced a day of ups and downs. After playing his first seven holes at his 1-under par, the 27-year-old lost a touch on the green and carded his three bogeys from the 8th to his 11th.
Despite the turbulence and visible anger, Rahm kept his cool and his patience paid off. Playing his final seven his holes at 3-under, he has kept his distance from McIlroy and will be the biggest threat for the Northern Irishman on the final day at Congaree.
What else do you have on Sunday?
McIlroy is in control of his destiny and a win could not only take him to 23rd place on the PGA Tour, but also reclaim his No. 1 spot in the world rankings. Even if he manages to finish solo in his second place, Scotty McIlroy has a chance to reach world No. 1 if his Scheffler falls short of his 34th in solo. The current No. 1 in the world is tied for 47th, and he continues to struggle with a putter in hand.
shot of the day
Playing solid and fast by Congaree makes it increasingly difficult to hit approach shots near the pin. WYNDHAM Don’t tell Clark that after the 28-year-old hit his best shot of the tournament in his third round. Clark, who scored a hole-in-one on the par-3 10th, used the 7-iron perfectly from 181 yards.
2022 CJ Cup odds and picks updated
Odds by Caesars Sportsbook
- Rory McIlroy: 5/4
- Jon Rahm: 5/2
- KH Lee: 8-1
- Kurt Kitayama: 17/2
- Aaron Wise: 20-1
- Tom Kim: 35-1
- Taylor Moore: 35-1
With the top of the oddsboard filled with two of the game’s elite, only seven players under 100-1 heading into the final round are listed. The sentiments shared on Friday are the same as those shared on Saturday. I go out on a massive limb and say that either Rahm or Rory will prove to win at Congaree on Sunday night.
The name of tomorrow’s match between these two Ryder Cup teammates is Iron Play. McIlroy is improving every day in terms of his stroke-gained approach, but Rahm is really struggling. Staying one stroke behind without world-class iron play is almost encouraging to Rahm fans. I think I stole the
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