Rory McIlroy struggled in the third round of the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow Club, falling 13 shots behind as Alex Fitzpatrick took the PGA Tour leaderboard lead
Rory McIlroy slipped out of contention as Alex Fitzpatrick seized the third-round lead at the Truist Championship in North Carolina.
McIlroy, competing in his first tournament since claiming a second Masters title, began the day four shots behind the leaders .
However, despite opening his third round with a birdie, his aspirations of a fifth triumph in the event disappeared during a round that featured six bogeys – four of them consecutively from the turn.
He recovered one shot at the par five 15th, but a 75 left him at one under par and 13 shots adrift of the lead.
Fitzpatrick established a one-shot advantage on 14 under par over Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan after both carded 64.
The Englishman, pursuing a second PGA Tour victory following his card-securing win at the Zurich Classic alongside brother and 2022 US Open champion Matt, who sits a stroke behind McIlroy after a 69.
Alex Fitzpatrick registered five birdies on his front nine, adding another on the 12th and two more either side of his sole dropped shot on the 16th.
“I think having my brother around has been super helpful,” he said.
“He’s been and done everything that I want to do in the game, whether that’s Ryder Cup and win majors.
“Having him, kind of, being around and me being there for all of that, I felt like I got a really good sense of what it takes and what the atmosphere is like.”
American Cameron Young sat two off the pace after a bogey at the last spoiled a round of 63, two ahead of Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard and overnight leader Sungjae Im.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood finds himself five strokes adrift of the leaders following a round of 71.
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