2026 Tour Championship: Rory McIlroy putts way back into contention
Rory McIlroy put together one of his best putting performances of the year — and it came at the right time on Saturday in Atlanta. The world No. 2 birdied nine holes to help him post a 7-under 63.
Rory McIlroy's stellar putting round of 7-under 63 at East Lake Golf Club put him back in contention at the 2026 Tour Championship. McIlroy, who led the field in shots gained putting since the 2024 Players Championship, birdied four consecutive holes on the back nine to tie for fifth with a group that included Chris Gotterup, Viktor Hovland, Cameron Young, and Ryan Gerard.
It marked McIlroy's best round of the week and improved upon his previous best score of 6-under 64 from the opening round of the BMW Championship last week. McIlroy praised the current state of the East Lake course, noting that more players are now able to jump up spots in the leaderboard after making birdies, unlike in previous years when the leaderboard appeared more spread out.
McIlroy is now five shots behind Hovland in the final round, with Gerard, Gotterup, and Hovland sharing the co-lead at 11-under.
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