Friday 1 June 2018 23:01, UK
Rory McIlroy was left in the shade by playing partners Dustin Johnson and Jason Day as he struggled to make the cut at The Memorial.
McIlroy was cruising along at four under for the day and two under for the tournament with five holes to play as he produced a spirited recovery from his opening 74, but he then bogeyed two par fives to close right on the projected cut mark of level par.
The 29-year-old started on the 10th and missed a good chance for birdie from 10 feet before holing from a similar distance at the next, and he drained a morale-boosting 20-footer at the 12th in a positive start.
McIlroy converted a nice approach to four feet at the 14th, but he spurned further opportunities to continue his march up the leaderboard at 16, 17 and 18 as he turned in 33.
He did get another putt to drop at the fourth, but his hopes of a fast finish were scuppered when he tugged his second to the long fifth into water and ran up a six, and his frustration boiled over following a wild drive into the thick rough two holes later.
The world No 6 managed to advance his ball up the fairway to leave himself a routine 90-yard pitch for his third, but he blocked his wedge into a greenside bunker before splashing out to 12 feet and missing the putt for par.
McIlroy did well to scramble a par at the short eighth, holing a nervy seven-footer, and he made a solid four at the ninth to close out a 70 which left him an anxious wait to see if he would make the weekend.
The four-time major champion was outshone by his illustrious playing partners, with Day nicely placed for the second half of the tournament on eight under after he carded a six-birdie 68.
Johnson's bid to reclaim the world No 1 ranking from Justin Thomas gathered pace as he made seven birdies, including five in seven holes, to fire a 66 which lifted him to six-under par.
