Rory McIlroy's first competitive round since defending the Masters at Augusta National last month produced 17 straight pars and one closing birdie. His second round at Quail Hollow looked like the McIlroy of the green jacket again. The Northern Irishman fired a four-under 67 on Friday at the Truist Championship, vaulting himself into the conversation at five-under and four shots adrift of 36-hole leader Sungjae Im.
"It was a good day to get myself back in the hunt, and feel like I have a real chance going into the weekend," McIlroy said.
The four-time Quail Hollow winner pointed to a sharper iron game as the difference, after a frustrating Thursday in which he made just one birdie and admitted he had felt rusty in his first start since claiming a fifth major title.
"I started to make some good swings, especially with the irons," McIlroy said.
McIlroy's charge produced the most attention on a leaderboard that has been led from the front by Im. The 27-year-old South Korean backed up Thursday's 64 with a one-under 69 and walked off Quail Hollow's 18th green at nine-under, one clear of Tommy Fleetwood and continuing to lean on the venue knowledge built up across two Presidents Cup appearances at the same Charlotte property.
"I know this course very well, so I'm taking advantage of that," Im said. "I know where to miss the greens, I'm very familiar with this golf course."
Im, who has yet to win a signature event despite a one-time PGA Tour victory and multiple Presidents Cup appearances for the International Team, will be paired in the final group on Saturday with Fleetwood, the reigning FedEx Cup champion who has matched his start with rounds of 67 and 67. Fleetwood, still searching for an elusive maiden PGA Tour win, said the consistency of the first 36 holes had given him something tangible to take into the weekend after a quieter run of form.
"It's just nice to even get a couple of days where you have something to show for your work, I guess," Fleetwood said. "Just a nice reminder that it will come good at some point if you keep doing the right things."
Round 1 leader Matt McCarty, who set a ShotLink record with his opening 63, has slid back into the chase pack but remains within striking distance heading to Saturday. He will tee off in the morning waves alongside Akshay Bhatia at 1:00 PM ET, with McIlroy out 20 minutes later paired with Nicolai Hojgaard.
The leading pairing of Im and Fleetwood will be the centrepiece of CBS coverage from 3:00 PM ET, with Golf Channel handling the early window from noon, ESPN+ providing PGA Tour Live featured groups from 7:30 AM, and streaming continuing on Paramount+ and the GOLF App.
For McIlroy, the prize is twofold. A fifth Truist title at Quail Hollow would equal Tiger Woods's mark on a single PGA Tour course in the modern era, and a Sunday charge would also send him into the PGA Championship at Aronimink next week with form to match the motivation he flagged in his Wednesday press conference. Four shots is exactly the kind of margin McIlroy has erased before at this venue. Round 3 will tell whether the Quail Hollow magic is back.