Rory McIlroy’s Eventful Day at the Australian Open
It was quite the moment for Rory McIlroy during the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne. On Friday, he struggled on the 14th hole, ending up with a bogey on the par-5 hole.
McIlroy’s tee shot veered right, landing him in a less-than-ideal spot under a tea tree. He faced further trouble when his club snagged on a branch during his next attempt, resulting in a whiff. Thankfully, he managed to recover and hit a six.
“Honestly, I can’t even remember the last time I missed a ball like that,” he remarked. “It was sort of funny, though. I’m just relieved I bounced back in the final holes.”
Despite that hiccup, McIlroy came back strong and finished with a three-under 68, making the cut for the weekend.
He ended the day at 2 under for the tournament, trailing leaders Daniel Rodriques (64) and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (66), who were both at 9 under with a total of 133.
After starting Thursday with a score of 72, McIlroy found himself tied for 57th place and seven strokes behind the leader at 1 over par.
On Friday’s front nine, he managed one birdie and made eight pars, but the round got tricky, particularly at the 14th where he bogeyed.
After that, McIlroy held at even par on the 16th, even pulling off what could be considered the shot of the tournament on the 17th—he navigated through some rough, swung past a small bush, and made a birdie after just missing a long eagle putt.
Reflecting on the day, he noted, “The wind really changed things out there. I haven’t been playing my best, but I’m happy I finished strong. I’m glad to be here this weekend… seven strokes isn’t insurmountable.”
At that point, the leading duo was just one stroke behind Lee Min-woo, who shot an impressive 65.
Meanwhile, Adam Scott had a solid round as well, scoring 66 and tying for fourth with Cameron Smith (65), breaking his streak of seven consecutive missed cuts. They were grouped with McIlroy in that esteemed threesome.
Interestingly, before the tournament, McIlroy had mentioned that he didn’t think Royal Melbourne was the city’s best sand course. His opening round wasn’t great either, filled with six bogeys and five birdies.
McIlroy, who clinched the Race to Dubai this year and completed a career Grand Slam by winning the Masters, is making his return to the Australian Open after a lengthy gap since 2015, where he previously took the title in 2013.
The tournament is significant; the winner will gain exemption into next year’s Masters. Additionally, the top three players not already qualified will secure spots for the British Open at Royal Birkdale in 2026.
