Rory McIlroy feels he is "right in the tournament" after an impressive second round pulled him to within five shots of the halfway lead at the US PGA Championship.
McIlroy was furious after a four-over-par first round as his bid for back-to-back majors started in disappointing fashion.
He started his second round at Aronimink Golf Club in south-west Philadelphia eight shots off the clubhouse lead but will he enter 'moving day' five back from Americans Alex Smalley and Maverick McNealy after a bogey-free 67.
Only two players have shot lower over the opening two days - Chris Gotterup with a 65 and Ludvig Aberg a 66 - and it is a congested leaderboard with 15 players within two shots of the midway lead for only the third time in major history.
McIlroy labelled his open round "s***" and, asked to describe his second, replied: "Less s***."
A different vibe alright from the back-to-back Masters champion.
Reflecting more on his second round, he told RTÉ Sport's Greg Allen: "I don't feel like I'm that far way; all I wanted to do today was shoot a good round of golf and get myself back in it, and I feel like I've done that.
"It has been a couple of days where patience has been rewarded, it felt a bit more like a US Open out there. I'm happy with my round today, happy with how I bounced back after the rough finish yesterday. I feel like I'm right in it and excited to give it a go for the weekend."
Elaborating more on that patient approach and not going gung-ho at the Aronimink course in his quest to bounce back from a disappointing opening day, the Co Down golfer added: "I plotted my way around a little bit more and I was rewarded for that.
"I've played a tournament here before in very different conditions, you have to get a sense of how the course is playing, what a good score is.
"I think I went out on the first day thinking a good score was 64 or 63 and really a good score was 68 or 67. Having that in your head you play a little bit differently, you play a little bit more patient golf. Knowing that today I was able to stay more patient, maybe not take on as many pins, maybe a few fairway woods off tees.
"If you hit it well going out you can give yourself plenty of opportunities, and if you take a few of them all of a sudden you are four or five under: you are right in the thick of things. There are going to be a few guys from this bunched leaderboard that are going to make a move early - hopefully I'm one of them."
McIlroy's performance was almost matched by Pádraig Harrington who shot an excellent 69, with two bogeys in his final four holes spoiling his card somewhat.
The Dubliner, starting on the 10th, picked up three birdies in his first seven holes to get as low as one-over par, but an untidy finish saw him fall seven shots behind.
Making sure he was around for the weekend weighed heavily on Harrington's shoulders, the 54-year-old not a regular on the PGA Tour these days
"It is hard when you come to these things not to be thinking about the cut," he told RTÉ Sport.
"I don't play as many regular events so it's hard to free yourself up. Let's face it, if there was not cut line there today, I'd have been two or three shots better off.
"It's a pity it hindered me a bit but I will try and take the positives, go out there for the weekend and see how I play, see if I can free up a little bit.
Well, after a "pretty consistent" round two, Harrington is hoping to remain in contention, no doubt drawing on the lift he got from making birdie just after the turn in his second round.
"I holed a 15-footer on 10; I hadn't been doing that. Holing that one on 10, you can't believe a difference that makes to how you feel. I knew I had to shot under par to make the cut but that birdie on 10 gives you one in the bank. If I keep putting well I'll trust the lines more and probably hole a few more down the road."
Additional reporting: PA
