McIlroy In Prime Position To End Major Drought Heading Into Open Weekend

Try as one might, it's hard not to be seduced by the quest of Rory McIlroy to bring to an end a Major drought that extends back to the 2014 PGA Championship. The Northern Irishman is not just one of the greatest talents ever to grace our game, but at the ripe old age of 33, he's already established himself as the modern ambassador of a sport on the brink of tearing itself apart.

It's for that reason - and many more - that McIlroy would make a fitting 150th Open champion. After all, as has been the way at St Andrews, as one champion departs, another emerges.

Video: Things you didn't know about Rory McIlroy

And as Tiger Woods was cheered to the finish and a missed cut that could signify his last Open Championship appearance at the Old Course, McIlroy doffed his cap to his childhood hero in a scene that will live long in the memory.

"It would have been a cooler moment if he was eight-under par instead of eight-over," McIlroy, ever the competitor, said. "I just hope - everyone hopes it's not the end of his Old Course career. I think he deserves and we deserve him to have another crack at it.

"I've gotten pretty close to Tiger over these last few years and especially after the accident. He was all our hero growing up, even though I'm maybe a touch older than some of the other guys. We want to see him still out there competing and this week was obviously a tough week for him but we're all behind him.

"Hopefully The Open's back here in four or five years' time and he does get another crack at it because with how good he's been throughout his career and how good he's been at The Old Course, I think that's not the way - he's got better in him."

Indeed he does. Woods got off to a horror start on Thursday and never truly recovered, eventually signing for a championship-ruining 78. It was akin to the issues that used to blight McIlroy at the game's showpiece events. 

However, having become something of a Thursday specialist this year, he is perhaps in what many would deem as the perfect position heading into the weekend in St Andrews after a second-round 68 that has him 10-under and three back.

"It wasn't like you could be defensive at all," McIlroy added. "You had to go out and play well and make birdies because everyone was doing that this morning. So sort of just tried to play a little bit more on the front foot and be a little more aggressive. And I got off to a quiet start, but then I sort of came to life around the middle of the round.

"It was a completely different golf course than we played yesterday with the wind switch. Playing the first few holes sort of down and off the right and the last few holes off the left. Completely the opposite wind than we had yesterday. 

"I felt like I adapted well. Had to make some club decisions. At the start of the week there was no way I would have hit driver on 13 and had to hit it there. Watching the coverage earlier on, the course looked easy - it was one of those, you needed to go out and make birdies."

And make birdies he did. Six, in fact, as he tried to chase down Aussie Cam Smith who set a blistering pace out front. Should the Players champion repeat the feat over the next 48 hours, even McIlroy admits his best might not be enough to hoist aloft the Claret Jug come Sunday evening.

"[If] Cam Smith goes out and shoots another two rounds like he did the first two days, I'm going to have a really hard time to win the tournament. So I've just got to go out and do the best I can and worry about myself and hopefully that's good enough."

However, to class this as a duel to the finish would be to do a disservice to the other contenders, of which there are many. Overnight leader Cameron Young added a polished three-under 69 to his scintillating 64 on Thursday to split Smith and McIlroy and book himself a coveted place in the final group on Open Championship Saturday.

Joining McIlroy in the penultimate group for the third round will be Viktor Hovland. The Norwegian has long been touted as a Major champion in waiting and what better place to deliver on that potential. 

However, at this early stage, perhaps the challenges of Dustin Johnson and Scottie Scheffler are more ominous. The American duo are within five of the lead having taken advantage of the soft Friday morning conditions. 

Further afield, nobody could deny Adam Scott an Open crown he richly deserves, while the likes of US Open champ Matt Fitzpatrick and last week's winner Xander Schauffele aren't out of it.

But on this day, the final word goes to Tiger, who departed St Andrews with an emotional ode to the greats that came before him.

"It felt like this might have been my last British Open here at St Andrews. And the fans, the ovation and the warmth, it was an unbelievable feeling.

“I understand what Jack and Arnold had gone through in the past. I was kind of feeling that way there at the end. And just the collective warmth and understanding. They understand what golf's all about and what it takes to be an Open champion."