PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Rory McIlroy gave the home crowds exactly what they craved on Saturday: He used the traditional third-round “moving day’’ to make a move up the leaderboard.
McIlroy, who began the day at 3-under par, seven shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler, activated the huge Portrush crowds with a third-round 5-under-par 66.
It left him at 8-under par, six shots behind Scheffler.
He got off to a scorching start with birdies on three of his first four holes to quickly get to 6-under par.
After a lull late on the outward nine, McIlroy pushed it to 7-under with an eagle on the par-5 12th hole, which the field was eating alive.
A long bomb of a birdie putt on 15 got him to 8-under par and the crowds around the course were alive with anticipation.
McIlroy escaped with a nifty par save on the par-3 16th hole, which is named “Calamity Corner,’’ after he hit his tee shot into the right rough. He chipped to 3 feet and made the putt.
“I got off to the perfect start, 3-under through four,’’ McIlroy said. “It was sort of like the dream start. It was an incredible atmosphere out there. It was so much fun. I feel like I’ve at least given myself half a chance tomorrow.’’
McIlroy, of course, wanted more, and that lull in the middle of the round slowed him a bit.
“I felt like at the end of the front nine there, at least through 11, the par on 7 felt like a bogey, and then the bogey on 11 (hurt),’’ he said. “Then to play those last seven holes at 3-under, I thought was a good effort. I played well.’’
He played well, but he knows because of who’s in front of him, the task on Sunday will be almost impossible.
“It’s going to be tough to catch him tomorrow if he keeps playing the way he’s been playing,’’ McIlroy said. “If I can come out tomorrow and get off a similar start that I did today and get the crowd going, you never know.
“Scottie is incredible,’’ McIlroy went on. “Even when he’s not playing with his best stuff, he’s become so good around the greens and improved his putting so much.’’