Rory McIlroy pulled off an incredible chip at the Genesis Invitational, but it was no fluke.
On the sixth hole, McIlroy chipped on a tight lie, sending the ball way beyond the hole, only for it to spin backwards and settle pin high. It was an incredible short-game display that helped him move just one shot off the lead at Riviera.
This is something McIlroy has practiced relentlessly, but the way he works on this part of his game is likely to leave the greenkeepers back home furious.
Rory McIlroy’s practice drill which infuriates greenkeepers
McIlroy broke down his chip after his five-under opening round, and explained how he practices chipping back at home.
The Masters champion said, “So on 6, I really like tight lies. I practice my chipping a lot off greens back home because it just, it really helps me control my low point and find the low point.
“If you can chip off of a really tight lie or a green like that, you can basically chip off any lie. So I do a lot of practice chipping off green, the practice green at home at the Bear’s Club. The superintendent probably doesn’t like it too much, but it helps.”
Chipping off greens is something you can probably get away with if you’re a career Grand Slam winner, but for us mere mortals, we should probably avoid the risk of getting kicked out of the club!
Rory McIlroy explains what he has found ‘so difficult’ about Riviera this year
McIlroy has found some joy out there at Riviera in difficult conditions. First, it was the rain, which eventually caused a delay, then it was the wind, which plagued the back end of the Northern Irishman’s round.
The conditions have seriously affected the course, as the greens are playing as soft as they can get, but they’re still fast. Iron shots are spinning back and ripping off the green in these conditions, and McIlroy has found that tough to judge.
He said, “It’s like they’re soft but they’re fast, I think that’s the hard thing. It’s like last week at Pebble, they were soft, but they were slow because they’re worried about the wind. Here, they’re so fast. The ball, like it just starts to get away from you a little bit, especially if it spins back.
“It’s just taking more club and taking spin off it. I’m hitting a lot of just little chippy 7-irons and 8-irons. And even that 9-iron at the last I hit, it was 186, I hit a full-blooded 9-iron thinking that, you know, 25 miles an hour downwind, it’s not going to come back too much and, you know, it came back 30 feet.
“I think it’s a combination of how soft they are, but also how fast they are as well. And a lot of the greens here are pitched quite severely from back to front, so it’s difficult.”
These are conditions where the very best ball strikers thrive, and that’s why McIlroy is in contention early.
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