Leishman admitted he could hear the rapturous applause that reverberated around the golf course every time McIlroy played a shot.
“You can tell when it’s him, as you could tell when it was Shane (Lowry) in 2019. The Northern Irish are loving seeing him in contention. It’s exciting. It would be exciting for Rory too.”
Exciting may not do the circumstances justice for what transpired on Saturday.
McIlory started like a house on fire, birdying three of the first four holes, eagled the par-five 12th and birdied the 15th to card a 66, leaving him eight-under for the tournament and six shots off leader Scottie Scheffler, sending sections of Royal Portrush into pandemonium.
“Yeah, it was incredible. It was so much fun. I got off to the perfect start, 3-under through 4. Felt like at the end of the front nine there, at least through 11, the par on 7 felt like a bogey, and then the bogey on 11,” he said.
All smiles: John Parry grins after sinking a hole-in-one.Credit: Getty Images
“Then to play those last seven holes at 3-under I thought was a good effort. Yeah, I played well. I rode my luck at times, but yeah, it was an incredible atmosphere out there. I feel like I’ve at least given myself half a chance tomorrow.”
The bogey on 11 took place amid exceptional circumstances. After missing the fairway to the right with his tee shot, McIlroy was forced to punch out from the rough.
As his ball flew off the club face, another ball which, unbeknown to McIlroy was lying right below his own, came out as well.
There’s no telling how long that ball had been buried below the surface.
The five-time major winner said it was one of the weirdest things he’s ever experienced on a golf course.
“It’s never happened to me before. It could never happen on any other course but a links course as well. When the rough is all matted down and the balls get — it was very strange.”
McIlroy and co will be chasing the runaway train that is world number one Scheffler, who had another strong round of 67, leaving him four shots clear of China’s Haoton Li.
Matt Fitzpatrick, who is one shot behind Li at nine-under for the tournament, is attempting to be the first English winner of an Open since Nick Faldo 33-years ago.
McIlroy and Leishman, who are in different sections of the leaderboard, have very different plans for their Saturday nights.
For McIlroy, it’s another hour of Christopher Nolan’s Oscar winning epic Oppenheimer, having made it through just one hour on his first attempt 24 hours earlier.
And for Leishman it’s also a repeat of what he did the previous night. A pint – or two – of Guinness.
We wonder which one will be more enjoyable.
Sam McClure travelled to the British Open with the assistance of Golf Australia.
