Golfer Rory McIlroy showed why he’s topped the world rankings a number of times in his career and showed his strength at the Dell Technologies World Single Hole Championships in Austin, Texas on Thursday.
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The current third in the international rankings met American Denny McCarthy in his second duel of this competition and caused a stir with the distance of certain shots. His tee shot on the 18th pennant also made the difference against a visibly impressed opponent. With a one-hole lead, he sent his ball four feet from the cup for a 375-yard run. McCarthy had no choice but to cede the eagle to the Northern Irishman, who confirmed the win.
“That was one of those shots where there was a good headwind. I could have used a 3 wood, ended up at the end of the driveway and used the cart. I figured the ball would come to rest in the fairway, 10 or 20 yards from target. However, I never thought she could get that close,” he told the Golf Channel.
Early in the game, McIlroy also had long shots off the tee, including a 308-yard par 4 shot at the 13th flag as well as a 356-yard shot at the 15th flag. “I did well on the last few holes from the tee shots and the contact with the ball was very good,” he said.
On Friday he had an appointment with Keegan Bradley.