McIlroy had hit the fewest fairways of anyone to make the halfway cut. His success rate of 32.1% over the first two days ranked him 150th in the original field of 156.
He found the first fairway on Saturday, though, and it set the tone for an early charge that sent thousands of already frenzied disciples into delirium.
A 30-foot birdie on the first was greeted with a thunderous cheer, reminiscent of a Sunday Tiger roar at Augusta.
A tap-in birdie on two and six-footer on the fourth were received with even louder bellows of encouragement with “Rory, Rory, Rory” echoing through the dunes. McIlroy had gone from seven behind Scheffler at the start of play to just four.
But then it fell flat.
A missed birdie putt from a dozen feet on the fifth and one from similar distance on the seventh killed the momentum.
His first real failure with the driver down the 11th led to a first bogey – after a bizarre incident in the rough where he unearthed a buried ball with his follow through after striking his own towards the green.
All hope lost? Not quite.
More whooping turned heads across the course as McIlroy drained a 56-foot eagle putt on the 12th.
“It was loud and cool,” was Schauffele’s take on the cacophony of noise following McIlroy’s every move.
“I was on the 17th tee when I heard whatever happened. I assumed it was an eagle, some sort of hole-out. It was very loud, and he got a standing ovation walking down 13.
“He looks like he’s enjoying it. It looks like the fans are enjoying it, which is great for this event.”
But while the fans celebrated, Scheffler was busy birdieing the eighth to move six clear on 13 under.
It was a stark reminder that while the focus of the majority was firmly on McIlroy, he was only one closer than he had been at the start of play.
Still McIlroy pushed. A wedge on 15 into three feet yielded another birdie. Cue more bedlam in the stands.
But scrambling pars, first from the ravine on the long par-three 16th, and then after a wild drive on 17, saw his round peter out.
Just one bogey in a 66 would, on most days, be raucously celebrated but at six back he has surely left himself too much to do on Sunday.
