Rory McIlroy at Northern Trust Open 2016: Saturday Score and Reaction
Rory McIlroy continues to put up good scores at the 2016 Northern Trust Open, firing a 67 in the third round for a 54-hole score of 10 under, making his quest for a victory with one more round remaining much easier than it appeared when the day started.
The 26-year-old is right in the mix for his first victory of the year, though he still has work to do Sunday because the leaderboard is a crowded mess.
Here's McIlroy's scorecard and the current leaderboard at the Northern Trust Open with just 18 holes left to play:
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| Par | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 35 |
| Score | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 34 |
| Total | -6 | -7 | -6 | -6 | -6 | -7 | -7 | -7 | -7 | - |
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 36 |
| Score | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 33 |
| Total | -8 | -8 | -8 | -8 | -8 | -9 | -9 | -10 | -10 | - |
Although he's still facing an uphill climb Sunday, he should be happy with how he finished the third round. On Friday, his round was thrown off track with three bogeys on the back nine.
Saturday was a nice rebound day on the back nine for McIlroy, finishing with three birdies and zero bogeys in the homestretch.
It didn't even matter that his driving was a problem, hitting just 45 percent of fairways, because his approach shots, like this from No. 2, were often spot-on, per the PGA Tour:
Of course, McIlroy's lack of driving accuracy has never been a hindrance to success. He's currently ranked 122nd in that category but first in greens in regulation because his ability with the irons is spectacular.
McIlroy's ability with the putter also came in handy as he tried to save par on the 18th hole, per the PGA Tour:
According to Justin Ray of the Golf Channel, that save was also the longest putt he made Saturday:
With a chance to win Sunday, McIlroy can make history if he pulls it off:
In addition to that bit of history, PGA Tour Media added on Twitter that he can become just the 12th international-born player to win the Northern Trust Open.
There is hope for McIlroy in the final round. He's one of the PGA Tour's best players on Sunday, boasting an average score of 67.50, though he will likely have to go lower than that because of how low the scores above him already are.
Recent history does favor McIlroy ending on a high note. He shot a 65 in the final round at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic two weeks ago.
After he ended the second round on a down note, despite finishing two shots under par, he needed to post a low score that would cause the leaders to take notice heading into the final round. He was able to do exactly that, equaling his best score of the tournament.
Given his ability to finish strong, specifically on the back nine Saturday and generally in final rounds, McIlroy will be the player everyone keeps an eye on.
He wants to be a more ruthless player in 2016. Winning his first PGA Tour event of 2016 is a good way to start.
Post-Round Reaction
Following his stellar performance on the back nine, McIlroy told reporters (via Kyle Porter of CBS Sports) the course presents opportunities.
"It's one of these golf courses, if you just stay around, hang in there and not make too many mistakes, stay patient, your time will come, and it will present itself with a few opportunities, and thankfully on the back nine I was able to take some of them," McIlroy said.
McIlroy has never played at Riviera Country Club, so the fact he's already figured out the course in three rounds speaks to how locked in he is.
Looking ahead to the final round with so much competition (via Porter) McIlroy said, "there's not really much you can do apart from try to play a solid round of golf and see where the chips fall at the end of the day, and if you shoot the lowest score, then that's great."
Momentum is working in McIlroy's favor, so it won't be a surprise if he's the one to shoot the lowest score on Sunday.
Stats per PGATour.com.
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