CROMWELL, Conn. — Early on Friday afternoon, it appeared golf fans were going to be treated to a weekend shootout at the 2022 Travelers Championship between Rory McIlroy, the second-ranked player in the world, and Xander Schauffele, the Olympic gold medalist from last summer.
As McIlroy stepped to the 12th tee at TPC River Highlands, he led the tournament at 13 under, having just made his sixth birdie of the day by drilling a wedge down the hill on the 166-yard par 3 to 11th hole to inside 3 feet. Schauffele had birdied it too and was at 12 under.
Then the whole tournament changed. As Schauffele waited for the fairway to clear on the par-5 13th hole, McIlroy butchered the 12th, sending this tee shot on the par 4 left, and out of bounds, before hitting his second tee ball onto the hillside on the right. His approach shot went into a back-left bunker, and he popped the ball across and through the green. His sixth shot hung up on the collar of the green, forcing him to hit a chip and then a putt for an eight that dropped him from 13 under to 9 under in one hole.
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Earlier in the day, Patrick Cantlay, the 2021 FedEx Cup champion, shot 67 to reach 9 under, a figure that was also reached by defending champion Harris English (65), Nick Hardy (64), Cameron Davis (66) and Kevin Kisner (64).
McIlroy wound up shooting an even-par 70 that included that quadruple-bogey eight on the 12th hole and a double-bogey on the par-4 15th. He will start the weekend tied for seventh at 8 under.
Here are five things we learned Friday at the 2022 Travelers Championship.