Saturday 16 July 2016 16:25, UK
Rory McIlroy admits he needs to post a low third round to stay in contention at The Open after failing to make the most of a bright start at Royal Troon on Friday.
The world No 4 finds himself eight strokes off midway pacesetter Phil Mickelson after posting a second-round 71 in tough conditions on the Ayrshire coast, where the afternoon starters struggled in wind and rain.
McIlroy started brightly and temporarily moved within five strokes of the lead after back-to-back birdies from the sixth, only to card four bogeys in a six-hole stretch around the turn.
Although the 2014 champion believes only a strong front nine on day three will keep him in contention, he refused to blame the Scottish weather for his mid-round stutter.
"I used to hate playing in conditions like that but I have found a way to get myself round the course and be as positive as possible," said McIlroy, who had targeted getting to five under by the close of play but fell three shots short. "No one enjoys it but there is some sort of challenge to it.
"I made it a goal of mine to play better in these conditions and that was one of the better ones. I'm trying to be as optimistic as I can and I can draw on memories of being in a similar position and having won, but this is a little different.
"I've played a couple of good rounds but I'm still eight shots behind. I need to get off to a fast start tomorrow [Saturday] and I'm going to need something around 30 to get back up the leaderboard."
A two-tee start was used for the first time in Open history in the third round at Hoylake in 2014 in anticipation of bad weather, which memorably arrived just as eventual winner McIlroy was giving his post-round press conference.
Asked if he would like to see the same system implemented full time, McIlroy joked: "I was probably saying that to myself on the 13th hole. Everyone had the spell where it was brutal and for us it was on 13.
"I hit a drive that I thought was 20 yards left of the fairway and I got up there and it was in the middle of the fairway just because it went about 230 [yards].
"But it's one of the traditions of the Open and I respect that. The first group tees off at 6:30am and the last at 4:30pm and it's the only tournament where we do that."
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