McIlroy Halfway to his First Green Jacket, Maybe

The second score stems from losing the U.S. Open at Pinehurst by a single stroke last year to Bryson DeChambeau.

McIlroy had the lead on Sunday afternoon on the back nine, but mistakes and DeChambeau’s steady putter eventually did McIlroy in.

It was a crushing defeat for a player who has not seen a major winner circle since the PGA Championship win in 2014.

McIlroy will not admit to ulterior motives before entering the major championship pit on Saturday. Still, he knows that this is maybe one of his best chances to end the major drought with his game humming on all cylinders.

“I think overall just proud of myself with how I responded today after the finish last night,” McIlroy said of his four-shot swing with two double bogeys. “I just had to remind myself that I played really good golf yesterday, and you know, I wasn't going to let two -- you know, two bad holes sort of dictate the narrative for the rest of the week.”

True to his convictions, McIlroy didn’t sulk or pout on Thursday night or Friday morning but came out to duplicate the good, not the bad.

The Ulsterman’s performance of 66 on Friday that included four birdies and an eagle on the par 5 13^th hole, confirmed to McIlroy that his game is right where it needs to be to go into the most crucial weekend of his distinguished career.

“I don't think I proved anything, if anything, I just backed up the belief that I have in myself, and I -- and the belief that I'm as resilient as anyone else out here,” McIlroy said. “I've been really proud of how resilient I've been the whole way throughout my career, and I think today was just another example of that.”

The Masters drought and getting the best of DeChambeau, McIlroy is something that McIlroy will never think of.

But with a Green Jacket in the closet back in Jupiter, Florida, McIlroy will know he got the job done and the drought and Pinehurst will be just part of history as he thinks about the Champions Dinner.