McIlroy cut at Augusta: "This will be a real body blow, this performance he has had this week”

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a stroke from the No. 2 tee during the second round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, April 7, 2023.

Rory McIlroy’s hopes of becoming just the sixth man to complete the career Grand Slam evaporated in a hail of bogeys at Augusta National.

Weighed down by high expectations, the world number two was the joint-favourite with defending champion and world number one Scottie Scheffler to become the first Irish winner of the green jacket.

But after an opening 72 left him seven shots off the pace, he found himself 11 strokes behind Brooks Koepka after bogeys at the second and third and went on to drop further shots at the sixth and seventh en route to a 77 that left him three shots outside the projected cut mark on five-over and 17 shots behind the LIV Golf star and fellow four-time Major winner.

After going out in 40, he tugged his approach into the pond left of the 11th and did well just to drop one shot, then salvaged another par from sand at the 12th.

He looked to have given himself a chance of making the cut when he birdied the 13th and hit a towering approach to just five feet at the par-five 15th.

But he missed the eagle putt, then missed from three feet for par after airmailing the par-three 16th before dropping another shot at the 18th after being forced to chip out of the trees.

He did not speak to reporters after his round as the course was being evacuated due to a suspension in play for dangerous weather.

But he was clearly devastated by just his third missed cut in 15 Masters starts and his second in the last three trips down Magnolia Lane.

Commentating for Sky Sports, former Ryder Cup skipper Paul McGinley backed the Co Down man to bounce back after falling victim again to high expectations and the weight of history as he chases that career Grand Slam.

“I’d say it’s curtains in terms of him being the Masters champion this year,” McGinley said as McIlroy tried in vain to mount a late comeback in his round.

“He will regroup and go at it again next year. I still believe he is playing better golf and is a more complete golfer than he has ever been before.

“This is going to be a setback for him, but as we have seen from McIlroy in the past, he is often better on the back of a setback.

“It will be interesting to see how he recovers and bounces back from this. This will be a real body blow, this performance he has had this week.”