US Open 2017: Rory McIlroy highlights from Round 2

Recapping Rory McIlroy’s second round of the 2017 U.S. Open on Friday morning at Erin Hills in Wisconsin.

Five-time major tournament winner Rory McIlroy will be headed home from the 2017 U.S. Open early after shooting a 71 in the second round on Friday morning to move his overall score to +5, well below the projected cut line.

Following a nightmare 78 that included a number of adventures Erin Hills’ infamous fescue, McIlroy’s second round didn’t get off to a much better start on Friday morning. McIlroy picked up two pars before missing the green on the par-4 12th en route to another bogey, moving him to +7.

Finally, McIlroy was then able to record his first birdie since this second hole of the opening round after placing his tee shot 13 feet from the hole on the par-3 13th. While the 2014 U.S. Open champion played better off the in the early going on Friday, a number of short missed birdie putts over the next few holes hurt his chances of playing over the weekend.

Five straight pars to close out the opening nine of his second round kept McIlroy at 6, still around five strokes behind the projected cut. Friday’s second nine got off to a poor start, as McIlroy turned in a shocking four-putt inside of 30 feet to bogey the lengthy par-5 1st.

More short game miscues on the 2nd and 3rd led to three straight bogeys for McIlroy, effectively ending any chance at a miracle run to the cut. A run of four birdies over the final six holes including a near hole-in-one on 18 at least salvaged something, but McIlroy is too far back in 117th place to have a chance of playing the final two rounds.

Many expected  McIlroy to be rusty in his return from a lengthy rib injury, although he has often struggled in Majors even when healthy recently. Here are a few highlights from McIlroy’s second round on Friday.

McIlory will play in next week’s Travelers Championship in an effort to get healthier and more up to speed ahead of The Open Championship, which begins on July 20.