The WGC-Mexico Championship is Rory McIlroy's first tournament in return from a rib injury, one that sidelined the four-time major winner for a few months. Throw in the fact that McIlroy hadn't played a PGA Tour event since October, it was reasonable for many to lower their expectations from the 27-year-old this week, assuming he needed time to acclimate.
And by "time," we mean 32 holes.
McIlroy, who opened with a respectable three-under 68 despite suffering from food poisoning, showed little sign of letting up on Friday, turning in a 31 on his front side. He was a stroke behind Ross Fisher when he teed off at Club de Golf Chapultepec's par-4 14th, a standing McIlroy improved thanks to this approach shot from 150 yards out.
So much for those sore ribs, eh?
Not quite the excitement of Tour Championship Sunday, but still pretty damn amazing for a guy who missed seven weeks of action. In short, McIlroy fans might want to jump on his Masters odds before they plummet on Monday.
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