Up until his exploits on the closing hole, McIlroy’s back nine frustration was summed up by his failure to exploit a huge drive on the par-five 14th as his pulled seven-iron approach was followed by a clumsy belly wedge, with the 15-foot birdie putt failing to drop.
McIlroy had to hole a six-foot putt to rescue par at the 15th but there was no escape at the next as his approach into a greenside bunker resulted in another dropped shot and a further stroke went at the short 17th when his tee shot finished 20 yards short of the green.
However, McIlroy did finish his round on a high as his eagle moved him to within six of Straka after his huge drive and accurate approach.
The four-time major winner’s fast start had included birdies at the second, fourth and sixth before he carded a two at the iconic par-three seventh hole where Lowry holed-in-one on Thursday.
But the world number three’s run of four momentum-halting pars – which included a wedge from only 87 yards on the 11th which spun back 30 feet from the pin – was followed by successive bogeys when he short-sided himself on the short 12th and found a bunker off the tee at the next.
McIlroy continued to make errors during the remainder of his back nine before his big finish.
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