MELBOURNE, Australia — Before a bit of drama on the back nine at Royal Melbourne, Rory McIlroy shot a 3-under 68 on Friday to finish within the 36-hole cut line to end his weekend at the Australian Open.
McIlroy, with a total of 2 under par, was 7 strokes behind leaders Daniel Rodriques (64) and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (66) with a total of 9 under par at 133.
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The leading pair was one stroke behind third-place Lee Min-woo, who shot a 65 on Friday.
Adam Scott, 66, tied for fourth with Cameron Smith, 65, avoiding adding to his record of seven consecutive missed cuts. Scott and Lee were playing in the same high-profile threesome as McIlroy.
McIlroy shot a 72 on Thursday and started the day tied for 57th place, seven strokes behind the leader, at 1 over. At the time, it was just one stroke within the expected two overs.
He birdied one hole and made eight pars on Friday’s front nine, but he made four more pars and bogeyed the par-5 14th. His tee shot missed the fairway to the right and landed under a tea tree. McIlroy missed his next shot when his club caught on a branch, but he recovered and hit a six.
That left him out of the 36-hole cut, but a birdie on the next hole, the par-3 15th, put him back at even par and safe, at least at that stage.
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He held the 16th to even par and probably had the shot of the tournament. No. 17 came from speckled rough, this time he swung through a small bush, and after a long eagle putt missed the mark, he made a birdie.
This put McIlroy at 1 under for the tournament, moving him up about 20 places on the leaderboard and allowing him to enter the weekend in good shape, especially after his birdie on the 18th.
“It was like a different golf course today with the wind,” McIlroy said. “Obviously I haven’t played my best the last few days, but I’m glad I was able to finish it the way I wanted. I’m happy to be here this weekend… 7 isn’t that far away.”
“Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I hit a shot in fresh air,” McIlory said of the shot he missed from under a tree. “It wasn’t one of my best moments, but I’m glad I was able to come back in the last few holes.”
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Co-leader Neilgaard Peterson missed out on a spot at last week’s Australian PGA Championship. At the Royal Queensland in Brisbane.
“Certainly, I feel like over the last year or so I’ve proven that I have the level to compete here and be able to compete on Sunday in the ups and downs,” Neergard-Petersen said.
The highlight of Australian Lee’s second round was when he holed out with a 9-iron from 176 meters for eagle on the par-4 10th hole, raising his arms and waving in an airplane-like celebration.
“I know it was a coincidence, but it just felt good,” Lee said. “There was a big crowd, so I was just doing random things.”
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McIlroy, whose pre-tournament press conference included comments that Royal Melbourne was not the best sand course in the city, had a rough opening round with six bogeys and five birdies.
McIlroy, winner of the Race to Dubai and who completed a career Grand Slam by winning this year’s Masters, will be playing at the Australian Open for the first time since 2015. He won in 2013.
The winner of the Australian Open, the second event in the European Tour’s new tournament schedule from later this year through 2026, will receive an exemption from next year’s Masters. The top three players who are not yet exempt will qualify for the British Open at Royal Birkdale in 2026.
