Round 2: FedEx St. Jude Classic

Like Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy prefers to go into a major championship off being competitive. He certainly is that after a second-round 66 that leaves McIlroy near the top of the leaderboard at the St. Jude Classic presented by Smith & Nephew.

“It doesn’t matter what course you’re playing,” McIlroy said. “If you’re hitting good shots, you’re hitting good shots.”

McIlroy hit plenty of them Friday, finding 10 of 14 fairways and a dozen greens in regulation en-route to a bogey-free round with a couple of birdies on each side. He also rolled the ball extremely well, making 16 of 17 putts from inside 10 feet and two putts over 10 feet. For the week, McIlroy is 7-for-7 from 5-7 feet – he’ll have to make a lot of those next week, too.

“It’s a great set-up,” McIlroy said. “It’s a really good test bearing in mind the U.S. Open is next week. It definitely tests all aspects of your game.”

As for choosig to play in Memphis rather than prepare at Pebble Beach, a course McIlroy has never played before, he said, “You can play as much as you want or practice as much as you want, but once you get a card in your hand it’s a different feeling. Nothing can prepare you for the weekend of a major; when you’re in contention that’s the best way is to be hitting shots under pressure.” — Brian Wacker