It is the ultimate “one of us” moment.
Rory McIlroy whiffed on a shot at the Australian Open on the 14th hole at Royal Melbourne on Friday, leading to a bogey on the par 5.
McIlroy missed the fairway to the right off the tee and ended up under a tea tree. The reigning Masters champ then whiffed on his next shot as his club got stuck in a branch but he recovered to make a 6.
“Honestly I can’t remember the last time I had a fresh-air shot,” McIlroy said. “Not one of my finer moments but nice to be able to come back over the last few holes.”
Hole 14: Misses the ball and makes bogey on a par five 😡
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
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 5, 2025
McIlroy, though, recovered from the embarrassing moment to shoot a 3-under 68 to make the cut in Australia.
McIlroy, who was 2-under on the tournament, was seven strokes behind leaders Daniel Rodriques (64) and Rasmus Neergaard-Peterson (66), who had 9-under totals of 133.
McIlroy started the day at 1-over after a 72 on Thursday, tied for 57th and trailing the leaders by seven shots. At the time, that was just one shot inside the expected cut of 2-over.
He birdied one hole and had eight pars on his front nine Friday, then had four more pars before making a bogey on the par-5 14th.
Rory McIlroy reacts during the second round of the Australian Open golf tournament at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne on December 5, 2025. AFP via Getty Images
He parred the 16th to stay at even-par then perhaps made his shot of the tournament — from the patchy rough on 17, swinging through a small bush this time, where he tapped in for birdie after a long eagle putt went just wide.
“With the wind, it played like a different golf course today,” McIlroy said. “I certainly haven’t played my best over the past couple of days but it was nice to finish the way I did. Delighted to be here for the weekend … seven isn’t too far back.”
The leading pair were one shot clear of third-place Min Woo Lee, who shot 65 on Friday.
Rory McIlroy hits out of a bunker during the second round of the Australian Open golf tournament at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne on December 5, 2025. AFP via Getty Images
Adam Scott (66) was in a tie for fourth with Cameron Smith (65), who avoided adding to his tally of seven consecutive missed cuts. Scott and Lee were playing in the same featured threesome as McIlroy.
McIlroy, whose pre-tournament news conference included comments that Royal Melbourne was not the best sandbelt course in the city, had a wild opening round containing six bogeys and five birdies.
McIlroy, the Race to Dubai winner and who completed his career Grand Slam when he won the Masters this year, is making his first appearance at the Australian Open since 2015. He won it in 2013.
The winner of the Australian Open, which is the second event on the European tour’s new schedule of tournaments for late this year and 2026, receives a Masters exemption next year. And the top three finishers not already exempt will qualify for the British Open in 2026 at Royal Birkdale.
