Rory McIlroy endured a torrid title defence at TPC Sawgrass, with two rounds of 79 and 75 meaning he finished 10 shots outside the even-par cut line.
McIlroy Misses Cut By 10 Shots In Players Championship Defence
Rory McIlroy’s Players Championship was one to forget as the Northern Irishman crashed out 10 shots behind the cut line.
The four-time major champion’s tournament had started in the worse possible way as he double-bogeyed the tenth hole (his first) in his opening round.
Watch Ian Poulter’s hilarious reaction to his, McIlroy, Hatton and Stenson’s opening round:
One of those days, combined table score of +29…comment your 4 ball that can relate
@henrikstenson @McIlroyRory @TyrrellHatton pic.twitter.com/x0a9ZDNpbl
— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) March 11, 2021
A bogey followed at the 13th, before a disastrous quadruple-bogey at the difficult 18th meant a seven-over-par 43 for his front nine.
Related: WATCH: McIlroy Makes 8 On TPC Sawgrass 18th
McIlroy then recovered the situation with birdies at the first and second, but that good work was undone with bogies at the third and fourth.
Birdies at the fifth and a closing bogey at the last meant a seven-over-par round, and 14 shots off the leader at the time, Sergio Garcia.
McIlroy was 14 shots behind playing partner, and first round leader Sergio Garcia. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Starting his second round, McIlroy made two bogies on the sixth and seventh, before a birdie at the ninth meant a front nine of 37.
But it was deja vu at the 10th hole for the Northern Irishman as he produced yet another double-bogey.
A bogey at the 13th and a birdie at the 16th meant McIlroy signed for a three-over-par round of 75, and a tournament total of 10-over-par.
Related: Rory McIlroy What’s In The Bag?
Speaking after his first round, McIlroy had said: “It’s very hard (to recover from a bad start), especially when you’re trying to figure it out as you go along on course.
“You’re trying to figure it out but you still know you’re not really sure where the shots are coming from and then it’s sort of, as I said earlier in the week, it’s hard to at least to try to eliminate one side of the golf course, basically.”
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