Irish Open: Rory McIlroy Chases Second Title with Flawless Round

Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy is four shots behind leader Adrien Saddier at the Irish Open after a bogey-free round of 68. Get the latest golf updates.

“I really feel for a few moments I was playing the PlayStation, to be honest. Every single shot was directly to the pin...”

 

Rory McIlroy shot a flawless round, carding no bogeys, but remained three shots behind overnight leader Joakim Lagergren, who stumbled with a 73. Meanwhile, Alfredo Garcia-Heredia fired a 67, moving to within three shots of the lead. Despite his solid play, McIlroy expressed frustration, still chasing his second Irish Open title.

Rory McIlroy is still in the running for his first tournament win since the US Masters, sitting four shots behind the leader after a flawless round of 68 at the Irish Open. McIlroy carded four birdies without dropping a single shot, keeping him in contention for the title.

Adrien Saddier currently tops the leaderboard with a score of -15, after posting a round of 68. He's narrowly ahead of Angel Hidalgo, who shot an impressive 9-under 63, featuring 12 birdies, to move into second place.

Current Standings:

• Adrien Saddier: -15 (leader)
• Angel Hidalgo: -14 (second place)
• Rory McIlroy: -11 (fourth place, four shots behind the leader)

McIlroy's determination to win the Irish Open is palpable, having described a victory here as “up there with one of the biggest wins” he's had. The tournament, held at the K Club course near Dublin, promises to be an exciting finale.

“As I was walking off the 18th green, I said to Harry (Diamond, his caddie), this is probably the most frustrating four-under par round of golf I've played in a while,” said the Northern Irishman.

The 36-year-old McIlroy, the world number two added: “I feel like all day I was just trying to keep myself in a close position to the lead. I feel like I could be a couple of shots better, but overall I'm still in a decent position going into tomorrow.”

Angel Hidalgo is on fire, equalling a European Tour record with 12 birdies in a single round. He's currently in second place, just one shot behind leader Adrien Saddier. Hidalgo described his incredible performance, saying, “I really feel for a few moments I was playing the PlayStation, to be honest. Every single shot was directly to the pin.”

It's the little things @McIlroyRory 💚#AmgenIrishOpen pic.twitter.com/UYS7dU8tvv

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 6, 2025

Meanwhile, Adrien Saddier is holding strong in the final group. He mixed seven birdies with three bogeys, still managing to maintain a one-shot lead over Hidalgo. Saddier started the day one shot behind Joakim Lagergren, who unfortunately slipped to four shots back with a 73.

Hidalgo's impressive round has certainly made the final round exciting, with McIlroy and Lagergren still in contention.

“I was quite surprised with the score to be honest,” said Saddier. “But I think, yeah, I managed the course pretty well, with my low moments and my high moments. So I feel happy about that 68.”

Saddier, who led after two rounds of last week's European Masters in Switzerland before fading, added: “There is still 18 holes to play, so a lot of things can happen. As I said yesterday, I crushed myself last weekend.”