Rory McIlroy nine back at Australian Open but comeback hopes linger

Rory McIlroy believes there’s still a path to victory at the Australian Open, even from nine shots back

McIlroy has a history of going low and pulling off remarkable comebacks. His ability to turn things around is well documented.

He famously came from six shots behind to win the Tour Championship in 2022, and back in 2014, he overcame a seven-shot deficit heading into the final round to claim victory at the BMW PGA Championship.

This time though, can he really pull it off? That said, he hasn’t completely ruled out making something happen.

“I’m probably going to be a little too far behind to challenge but hopefully I can finish my week on a high and record my best score of the four days,” McIlroy added.

How Rory McIlroy’s game looked in round three of the Australian Open

McIlroy has already said he’s likely too far back to mount a serious challenge in Melbourne, but if anyone can get hot and post a low number on that sandbelt layout, it’s him.

The path forward looks steep, and as McIlroy himself pointed out, there’s plenty of ground to cover. Still, his numbers from round three weren’t all that bad.

McIlroy will need to sharpen up his putting if he hopes to go low on Sunday. Even then, a round in the low 60s might not be enough with players like Neergaard-Petersen, Si Woo Kim, Cam Smith, and Josele Ballester all firmly in the mix.

Still, stranger things have happened in golf. We’ll see what McIlroy can pull off when he gets back out there for the final round at Royal Melbourne.