Rory McIlroy was in the zone. There’s no other word for it. Watching him bounce around the US Open course was like a throwback to the days of yore, this Tigger-like golfer enjoying every moment, hitting iron shots with fizz, his driver lighting up the fairways, his putter hotter than a George Foreman grill.
His countrymen, watching back home, were in their element. The commentary team kept uttering phrases like “the fates are on Rory’s side” and “everything’s coming together”. The beautifully judged long putt on the 12th took him into the joint lead with the American Bryson DeChambeau, and it wasn’t long after that McIlroy was two shots ahead with five to play — on the cusp of the title. Pure joy for those
