Rory McIlroy shrugs off bad back to remain in contention at SA Open

Tournament favourite Rory McIlroy put his bad back behind him to grab a share of the lead nearing the halfway mark in the third round of the SA Open on Saturday.

He has since dropped a shot and is three shots back from leader Graeme Storm through 10 holes.

The Ulsterman who cast doubt over his continued participation in the event at the conclusion of the second round on Friday‚ reported for duty on Saturday and showed no ill effects of the upper back injury that left him within a whisker of withdrawing from the event.

McIlroy who said he had trouble breathing as a result of the injury was greeted by an expectant gallery when he reported for duty yesterday.

The first fairway was lined almost in its entirety by spectators when McIlroy teed off.

• WATCH: The hole-in-one shot that earned Van Zyl sparkling new wheels at SA Open South Africa’s Jaco van Zyl provided the undoubted highlight of morning play in the second round of the SA Open on Friday when he recorded a 16th career hole-in-one. 

He set about his task in steady fashion and picked up the momentum he relinquished at the end of the second round when he bogeyed the 17th and the 18th on Friday.

On Saturday he birdied the par five second before draining his approach for eagle on the par four seventh. A birdie on the eighth brought him level with overnight leader Storm who was on 13-under.

McIllroy however dropped a shot in the ninth when he missed a three-foot putt for par.

Storm by contrast was busy constructing a steady round with three birdies on the front nine.

• Unheralded Storm charges to the front on a day of drama at the SA OpenAn Englishman who is perhaps fortunate to play on the European Tour this year surged to the front of the SA Open on Friday. 

The big mover of the day so far has been Italy's Eduardo Molinari who shot six birdies on his front nine. He added two more on the 11th and the 15th.

First round leader Trevor Fisher Jnr and American Peter Uilhein have moved to 13-under‚ two shots behind England's Storm.

Tournament host Ernie Els is not playing on the weekend after he failed to make the cut.

TMG Digital/TMG Sport