Rory McIlroy saw his chances of winning the Truist Championship evaporate as Alex Fitzpatrick surged into the third-round lead in North Carolina. The Masters champion recorded six bogeys in a disappointing 75, leaving him 13 strokes off the pace set by the Englishman.
McIlroy's Struggles Continue
Playing his first tournament since winning a second Masters title, McIlroy began the day four shots off the lead. After an opening birdie, his hopes of a fifth victory in the event unravelled with a run of four consecutive bogeys from the turn. A birdie at the par-five 15th offered brief respite, but a 75 left him at one under par and well adrift of the lead.
Fitzpatrick Shines
Alex Fitzpatrick carded a superb 64 to take a one-shot lead on 14 under par, ahead of Norway's Kristoffer Reitan, who also shot 64. Fitzpatrick, seeking his second PGA Tour victory after securing his card with a win at the Zurich Classic alongside his brother Matt, made five birdies on the front nine, added another on the 12th, and two more either side of his only dropped shot on the 16th.
“I think having my brother around has been super helpful,” Fitzpatrick said. “He’s been and done everything that I want to do in the game, whether that’s Ryder Cup and win majors. Having him, kind of, being around and me being there for all of that, I felt like I got a really good sense of what it takes and what the atmosphere is like.”
Leaderboard Update
American Cameron Young was two off the pace after a bogey at the last marred a round of 63, two ahead of Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard and overnight leader Sungjae Im. England’s Tommy Fleetwood fell into a group five strokes off the pace after a round of 71.
