Rory McIlroy wary of two ‘phenomenal’ rivals at The Open and admits second round regret

Rory McIlroy unapologetic for showing flashes of frustration at start of US Open

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Rory McIlroy has lauded Cameron Smith and Cameron Young as ‘phenomenal’ as he gears up to face both to win The Open this weekend. And McIlroy cut a regretful figure ahead of the decisive third and fourth rounds at St. Andrews, believing he could be in a better position after Friday’s action despite being third on the leaderboard.

The 33-year-old is looking to replicate his 2014 success and enters the weekend at 10 under, alongside Norwegian Viktor Hovland. Smith leads The Open standings on 13 under after navigating the iconic course in 64 shots in round two. Meanwhile, Young is 11 under and leads McIlroy and Hovland in the chasing pack.

After Friday’s play, McIlroy admitted that while he was pleased with his position, he regretted not returning to the clubhouse in less strokes. He told Sky Sports: “I think it was good. I thought I played well coming in and stuck to my game-plan well. I am picking holes in everything and thinking I could be a couple of shots better off, but I am in a great position.”

The Northern Irishman also had plenty to say about his rivals for the coveted major. He praised Smith for improving his game since the start of the 2021 season and explained it was ‘nice to be in the mix’ with the Australian leader and Young, who he warmed up with earlier this week.

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“Cam Smith has been playing really well this year, and so has Cameron Young,” McIlroy continued. “With Smith winning the Players, I feel he has really stepped the level of his game up over the last 18 months.

“I also played a couple of holes with Young earlier in the week in a practice round. Both are phenomenal players, but it is a great leaderboard. It’s going to be a great weekend, and it’s nice to be in the mix.”

While McIlroy isn’t the favourite heading into the tournament’s final two rounds, Sky Sports’ Rich Beem believes if he starts well and grows in confidence, he’ll be the man to beat.

He said: “There was no hesitation off the tee. He knew what he was going to do every single time. If you can get Rory comfortable and confident off every tee shot, he is going to be a hard man to beat. He knew exactly what he was doing when the wind shifted. It was impressive.”

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