Rory McIlroy’s Late Birdie Surge Secures Weekend Play at the Australian Open
Rory McIlroy demonstrated resilience during the second round of the Australian Open, securing his spot for the weekend with a 3-under 68 at Royal Melbourne. After two rounds, McIlroy stands at 2-under par, seven strokes behind co-leaders Daniel Rodriques and Rasmus Neergaard-Peterson, who both sit at 9-under par with totals of 133.
Standings at the Australian Open
- Daniel Rodriques: 64, 9-under par
- Rasmus Neergaard-Peterson: 66, 9-under par
- Min Woo Lee: 65, 8-under par
- Adam Scott: 66, tied for fourth
- Cameron Smith: 65, tied for fourth
McIlroy started the day with a score of 1-over par, tied for 57th place, and facing the possibility of missing the cut. He managed to birdie one hole and recorded eight pars on his front nine. However, the back nine brought challenges, including a bogey on the par-5 14th after an errant tee shot and an awkward follow-up from under a tea tree.
Turnaround on the Back Nine
Despite the setback at the 14th, McIlroy bounced back by birdieing the par-3 15th hole, returning to even-par and securing his position within the cut threshold. He continued his rally with an impressive birdie on the 17th, hitting from a difficult lie in the rough, and capped off his round with another birdie on the 18th, moving him to 1-under overall.
“With the wind, it played like a different golf course today,” McIlroy reflected after his round. He expressed delight in making the cut, stating, “seven isn’t too far back.”
Highlights of the Day
Min Woo Lee made headlines with a spectacular eagle on the par-4 10th hole, hitting a 9-iron from 176 meters. He celebrated with palpable excitement, engaging with the enthusiastic crowd.
Neergaard-Peterson, who had missed the cut at the recent Australian PGA Championship, is showing significant improvement and confidence, suggesting he is ready to be competitive in upcoming tournaments.
McIlroy’s Australian Open Journey
This marks McIlroy’s first appearance at the Australian Open since 2015, after previously winning in 2013. As part of the European tour’s new schedule, this tournament offers a Masters exemption for the winner and qualifying opportunities for the British Open.
As McIlroy progresses through the tournament, fans await to see if he can leverage this momentum into a strong weekend performance at the Australian Open.
