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SPORTS A17
Saturday 4 March 2017

McIlroy feeling better and takes 2-shot lead in Mexico

DOUG FERGUSON Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, plays a ball on the 7th hole in
AP Golf Writer round one of the Mexico Championship at Chapultepec Golf
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Sore Club in Mexico City, Thursday, March 2, 2017.
ribs or sore stomach, it
doesn’t seem to matter to Associated Press
Rory McIlroy. After being
gone for seven weeks, he
took a two-shot lead into
the weekend at the Mex-
ico Championship with a
chance to return to No. 1
in the world.
McIlroy holed out from 156
yards for eagle on the 14th
hole, part of a three-hole
stretch Friday when he
seized control at Chapulte-
pec Golf Club. McIlroy
missed putts inside 6 feet
on his last three holes —
one for par, two for birdie
— and still shot a 6-under
65.
“Look, I’m in a great posi-
tion,” McIlroy said. “But I
felt like I could have been
a few more ahead.”
He got 14 hours of sleep to
help overcome a stomach
virus and said he was feel-
ing a little better.
His game looked better
than ever.
McIlroy was at 9-under
133, two shots ahead of
Phil Mickelson (68), Justin
Thomas (66) and Ross Fish-
er (68).
Mickelson will in the final
group on the weekend
for the first time since his
runner-up finish to Henrik
Stenson at Royal Troon in
the British Open. And he
got there without his long-
time caddie, Jim “Bones”
Mackay, who fell ill on
fourth hole of the second
round and turned the bag
over to Mickelson’s young-
er brother, Tim.
Thomas, who won the
opening two events of the
year in Hawaii, had seven
birdies and three bogeys
over his last 13 holes.

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