Rory McIlroy homes back in on £6m FedEx jackpot

By MARK GARROD
Published on 22/09/2012 00:37

JIM Furyk had the round of the day at the Tour Championship in Atlanta, but Rory McIlroy’s tenth successive sub-70 score has kept him on course for a £6million jackpot this weekend.

On the day he put his home in Northern Ireland on sale for £2million, the 23-year-old world No 1 sank a 25-foot eagle putt on the 16th in a second round 68 at East Lake. With Tiger Woods, joint overnight leader with England’s Justin Rose, producing a real mixed bag McIlroy, three under at halfway, was back leading the race for the massive FedEx Cup play-off bonus.

Furyk shared the lead in the tournament with fellow American Bo Van Pelt, however, after a 64 that included an outward 29 in which he birdied five of the first seven and then almost pitched in for eagle at the long ninth. McIlroy said of his house sale: “I’m only spending about two weeks a year back home, so from a financial point of view it didn’t make sense to keep it.”

On many of his weeks off McIlroy travels to see Danish tennis player girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki and he added: “Hopefully when I go home Mum and Dad will have a room for me!”

He had a lucky break on the tenth, hooking his drive against a fence but being given a free drop because of ground under repair. Woods resumed with a bogey after pushing his approach to the first into a bunker and his birdies at the third and seventh both came after he had driven into more sand. He missed the green at the next, fluffed a chip and double-bogeyed, came back with a birdie, but then dropped more strokes at the 11th and 12th.

Furyk won the FedEx Cup £6m two years ago and looked to have a chance of a 59 when he had seven birdies in the first ten. More came at the 15th and 17th, but there were also bogeys at the 13th, 16th and 18th.