On a day that many believed would inevitably feel different from the norm Rory McIlroy supplied the sense of familiarity. A 65 means he will begin the third and final round of the PGA Championship one shot off the lead.
The scale of support for McIlroy and the cheers as he pieced together his latest excellent round of 2022 were perfectly typical. As McIlroy walked towards the clubhouse on completion of media duties, giddy autograph hunters chanted his name. In fact, bar a two-minute silence in honour of the Queen and the donning of black ribbons by players, this proved as normal an occasion as onlookers could expect. McIlroy’s pizzazz played a huge part in that. Afterwards he addressed the bigger picture.
