Minutes After a Scary Escape, Defending PGA Champion Justin Thomas Reveals What Rory McIlroy Exactly Told Him

As the 2023 PGA Championship heads into the weekend, fans can expect to witness plenty of thrills at Oak Hill Country Club. Golfers now head into the final 36 holes after the second day’s play, with many big names missing the cut!

Reigning champion Justin Thomas was among the ones who barely made it under the cut line, tying for T59 on the leaderboard. After his daunting escape, cameras also caught Thomas exchanging a few words with fellow compatriot and World No. 3 Rory McIlroy. So, what exactly did the Irishman say to the World No. 13?

Rory McIlroy extends support to Justin Thomas after a taxing second day at Oak Hill

Rory McIlroy is well-versed in the pain that comes with missing the cut at a major event. After all, the 4-time major winner suffered a shocking early exit from Augusta National last month despite being one of the favorites going into the event.

However, McIlroy finally seems to have found his mojo back. After being three over after the first nine holes on Thursday, the 34-year-old persevered to finish just five shots off the lead in his second round! He is currently tied at T10 and is also a big contender for the Wanamaker trophy this week.

After the round, McIlroy even reached out to his friend Justin Thomas, putting his arms around the golfer and briefly interacting with him. So, what did the golfer say? “He just said, ‘Auto finish, good putt’,” revealed the defending champion in his post-second-round interview.

“I played with him before when I’ve had it unfortunately go the other way in a very similar circumstance, so he was glad to see it go that way,” Thomas further shared. The 30-year-old is currently ten shots off the lead after narrowly making the cut on Friday. On the other hand, McIlroy’s second-round performance will relieve many, especially after the 4-time major winner talked about fighting a mystery illness on Thursday.

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McIlroy sheds light on his mystery illness

Rory McIlroy was among the many golfers who struggled on the course during his first round at the PGA Championship. After a difficult opening nine holes, he ended the day with a one-over-par 71. The former World No. 1 also appeared visibly pale and worn out during the press conference following the first round.

“I thought I got a great night’s last night’s sleep last night, and I look at my Whoop, and I was 22% recovery, and my skin temperature was 3.5 degrees higher than what it’s been. I’m fighting something,” he shared on Thursday, after the round. But McIlroy turned things around in his second-day outing, and how!

A bogey-free performance over his final 11 holes catapulted the player into one of the top contenders for the coveted title. He wrapped up round 2 with a 69 to sit T-10 on the leaderboard, five strokes back on co-leaders Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland, and Corey Conners.

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Do you think Rory McIlroy will finally end his major drought this week? Which golfer are you rooting for to win the event? Tell us in the comments!