Rory McIlroy 'right there going into the weekend' at Wells Fargo Championship

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The ball-striking was better but the score was higher. There’s a one-word explanation for that phenomenon.

“Golf. It’s a funny game,” Rory McIlroy said after his second-round 70 at the Wells Fargo Championship.

McIlroy’s record is unmatched at Quail Hollow, and that continued Thursday with a 66 that gave him the first-round lead. Considering his success here – he’s the only two-time champion here, and has twice set the course record – the stage seemed set for a runaway win.

McIlroy is third in the FedExCup thanks to one of the most consistent stretches of his career. He finished in the top 10 in seven consecutive events to start the year, including a win at THE PLAYERS Championship.

On Friday, he fell down the leaderboard instead. He shot a higher score despite improved play off the tee. McIlroy gained nearly two more strokes with his tee shots than he did in the first round. He also hit one more green Friday.

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“I stood up here (Thursday) night talking about how I got the most out of it yesterday, and today was the complete opposite,” McIlroy said. “I turned a 66 into a 70.”

McIlroy made some slight swing fixes in the three weeks between the Masters and Wells Fargo Championship. He said he was still getting accustomed to the changes, especially with the longest club in his bag. Another day helped those modifications become further ingrained.

“I was a little more comfortable with it today,” he said after missing just four fairways Friday.

Short putts, and a tough finish, kept him from holding onto the lead. He’ll start the weekend in the top 10, but also five strokes behind 36-hole leader Jason Dufner.

Dufner has just one top-10 in the past two years. His closest pursuers, Joel Dahmen and Max Homa, are seeking their first PGA TOUR win. They both stand at 10 under par. Homa matched Dufner’s 63 on Friday, while Dahmen has opened with consecutive 66s.

Quail Hollow is known for a star-studded winner’s list that includes McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler. McIlroy isn’t the only FedExCup and major champion who’s lurking in the top 10 entering the weekend.

Patrick Reed is tied with McIlroy for fourth place after shooting 69 on Friday. Justin Rose, the reigning FedExCup champion, shot 67 to reach 5 under par. He’s tied for sixth place with Jason Day.

“If the golf course is tough, it offers you a little bit of a chance to play catch-up,” Rose said. “Five under gives me the opportunity to go out and not change my game plan going into Saturday.”

McIlroy was 4 under for the day until playing his last two holes in 3 over. McIlroy double-bogeyed the short eighth hole after driving into a fairway bunker. He missed a 9-foot putt to bogey his last hole.

It was one of three putts from inside 10 feet that he missed Friday, including a 4-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole.

“I’m still right there going into the weekend,” McIlroy said. “I just need to try and shake off that bad finish and get off to a good start tomorrow.”