Rory McIlroy shoots second-round 78 and misses cut at Canadian Open
The Masters champion carded a quadruple bogey, a double and four other bogeys in an eight-over-par round that left him languishing 21 shots behind halfway leader Cameron Champ, who finished on 12 under.
It is the first time the world number two has missed the cut since the Open at Royal Troon last July.
There was better news for Irishman Shane Lowry, whose two-under-par 68 took him to eight under and a share of seventh place along with six other players.
"I think there's still learnings that you have to take from a day like today."
Rory reflects on missing his first cut since @TheOpen in 2024. pic.twitter.com/R7WEo8achO
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 6, 2025
Champ's fellow American Andrew Putnam climbed to second on 10 under after a superb eight-under-par-62 while Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen, who began the day with a share of the lead, was tied third on nine under with Canadians Richard Lee and Nick Taylor.
McIlroy's round continued his troubled build-up to next week's US Open at Oakmont having been forced to switch to a different driver.
The Northern Irishman's previous model was deemed non-conforming in a random test on the eve of last month's US PGA Championship, in which he finished joint-47th.
He was already facing an uphill battle after shooting one over par on Thursday and his day began to unravel after taking an eight on the par-four fifth.
Is this any good? 👀 @ShaneLowryGolf almost aces the 11th from 200 yards.
📺 Golf Channel pic.twitter.com/CDQYM9KK2n
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 5, 2025
That occurred after he fired his second shot out of bounds from the rough and was forced to take a further penalty after playing a provisional. He then missed the green with his fifth shot and needed three more to find the hole.
Things got worse from there with further bogeys at the eighth and 10th before he double-bogeyed the 11th and then dropped more shots at the 13th and 17th. There was at least some relief with birdies on the 15th and at the last.
Champ delivered his second successive bogey-free round as he followed his opening 62 with 66.
Justin Rose, beaten by McIlroy in a play-off at the Masters in April, also missed the cut after finishing one under following a round of 74.
World number eight Ludvig Aberg also ran up a quadruple bogey on his card but held on to make the cut on four under after a 68.
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Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘Man up and get on with it!' – Scots golf legend in astonishing blast at players moaning about US Open rough conditions
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Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Three killer holes at Oakmont including one that cost Tiger Woods a US Open as Rory McIlroy and Co face savage test
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However, reigning champion Bryson DeChambeau will hope to find big-hitting answers. And world no.2 Rory McIlroy aims to build on his maiden Masters triumph. But here's a look at three of the toughest holes any golfer could face - plus the verdict of players on the ominous Oakmont course. Hole 3 (par 4 - 462 yards) THIS difficult par-four provides the first sight of the massive Church Pews bunker down the left-hand side of the fairway. And if you steer too far wide of it, there is a row of deep bunkers down the right waiting to gobble up balls. Rated as one of the toughest holes on the course — just ask Tiger Woods. 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Belfast Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
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McIlroy is looking to claim his second Major win of the year at Oakmont having already won the Masters at Augusta in April, however he has had his fair share of struggles in recent weeks. The World No.2 was outraged that his name was leaked after failing a driver compliance test at the US PGA Championship last month, refusing to talk to the media in the aftermath, and he missed the cut at the Canadian Open last week after struggling off the tee in a second round 78. As well as that, McIlroy has admitted to suffering from a lack of motivation in the aftermath of the monumental effort it took to complete the Career Grand Slam, his Masters victory meaning he has now won all four Major titles. As a result, along with the resurgence of World No.1 and US PGA champion Scottie Scheffler, the 35-year-old has fallen down the list of favourites to win this week in Pennsylvania and, after his Tuesday media briefing, McGinley shared his concerns. 'You'd have to say it was very worrying looking at his press conference there. His eyes weren't alive. The energy was not there,' said the Irishman on Sky Sports. 'He certainly didn't have the pointy elbows the way we saw coming into the Masters. (At the Masters) he was a man on a mission, he was a man on a bounce, he was a man out to prove something. 'Get out of my way, here I come.' You could see that and feel the energy. 'You don't see it at the moment. I know from my own experience, when you win tournaments, you check out. You don't feel the same. You want to be there and you put in the energy but something inside you is just missing. 'It takes some time for that to reset and I think he's going through a period of that. He's completed a Grand Slam – it's a huge achievement. 'I'm no psychologist but it looks like the air has been sucked out of him a little since that, not just in the way he's played but in his press conferences. It's very un-Rory-like to have such low energy. This is not normal Rory. 'This is not when he's at his best in my opinion. I think he's at his best when he's p****d off or following off a big loss or something that went wrong.'
