Rory McIlroy registered three birdies in the final four holes of his second round at the Australian Open to make the cut at Royal Melbourne, with the world number two seven shots adrift of joint-leaders Daniel Rodriques of Portugal and Denmark's Rasmus Neergaard-Peterson.
McIlroy followed up an opening 72 with a three-under-par 68 to improve to two under for the tournament.
A winner of the event in 2013, the Holywood star, recorded a birdie and eight pars on his front nine, adding four more pars before encountering drama on the par-five 14th.
McIlroy missed the fairway and whiffed his next shot as he contorted his body and attempted to bunt a ball from under a tree.
Hole 14: Misses the ball and makes bogey on a par five 😡
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 5, 2025
Hole 15: Nearly drives the green and becomes only the eighth player to birdie the 15th 🔥
McIlroy now sits within the cut line 💪#AusOpenGolf pic.twitter.com/nX2bZMMjr8
The result was a bogey six, which saw the 36-year-old drop outside the projected cut line.
However, the response was a resolute one, with a birdie delivered on the par-three 15th.
McIlroy produced a par on 16, then just missed out on a magnificent eagle on 17, settling for a birdie after a superb shot out of the rough.
A closing birdie on 18 saw him surge up the leaderboard and into a share of 28th place.
Rory McIlroy's final three holes 😍#AusOpenGolf pic.twitter.com/JQk8eBUcLf
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 5, 2025
"I needed to play those last four holes the way I did," McIlroy admitted afterwards.
"That was not one of my finer moments on 14. I can't remember the last time I had a fresh air.
"I was trying to get in really low, sort of like Seve [Ballesteros], flick it back into play, and I caught a branch on the way down and completely missed the ball.
"The drive on 15 was a big shot because it could have been a turning point one way or another.
"If I don’t hit that tee shot well, I’m looking at another bogey. I gave myself an easy enough birdie and I played the last few holes pretty well.
"I don’t feel like I’m that far behind. I certainly haven’t had my best stuff and I struggled with the speed, but I turned it on when I needed to.
"I’ll go out early tomorrow, hopefully in some good conditions, shoot a low one and get myself back in there.
"Another two rounds around this place, I think I’m getting a little more comfortable with what to do around here and maybe shots to take on."
Rodrigues shot a 64, with a bogey and eight birdies on his card, while an eagle at the 14th helped Neergaard-Petersen to a 66.
At nine under, the pair are one shot clear of home hope Min Woo Lee, who registered a 65.
Lee's compatriots Adam Scott (66) and Cameron Smith (65) share fourth with Mexico's Carlos Ortiz (65) on seven under.
