Rory McIlroy pleased with late flourish to progress in Melbourne after rare air shot

Outside the cut line with four holes to play, Rory McIlroy showed his class to make three late birdies and take momentum into the weekend at the Crown Australian Open.

After a rare air shot while playing under trees at the 14th resulted in a bogey to drop back to one over in his second round, the Northern Irishman faced a possible early end to his long-awaited return to the tournament.

But the World Number Two, who last played in Australia’s national championship in 2014, responded as he birdied the 15th and then picked up shots over the 17th and 18th to card a three-under-par 68 at Royal Melbourne.

With scoring made easier on Friday compared to the opening day when players faced high winds over the world-renowned Composite Course, McIlroy was taking the positives from his last flourish.

At two under through his opening 36 holes and seven shots adrift of the halfway leaders, the 2013 champion is retaining the faith he can mount a challenge for a second Stonehaven Cup as he begins his bid to win a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title this week.

I certainly haven’t had my best stuff over the last couple of days, but it was nice to finish the way that I did

“Opposite wind, coming out of the south so it definitely played like a different golf course, different clubs off tees,” he said.

“A few different options. It was great, the course is firming up. It’s really making you think out there, especially with your approach shots.

“I certainly haven’t had my best stuff over the last couple of days, but it was nice to finish the way that I did.

“It wasn’t looking great after the bogey on 14… but overall, a great finish [and] delighted to be here for the weekend.

“Seven isn’t too far back. I feel like if I can go out tomorrow morning and shoot a good one, I can get myself right back into the tournament."

Drawn alongside home favourites Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee, McIlroy has, as is the norm, been the focus of much pre-tournament anticipation and big crowds once again followed the star three-ball grouping in Victoria.

While Lee, the top-ranked Australian in the world, and Major winner Scott were the ones largely creating the noise with both making eagles on day two to both sit in the top five, McIlroy took longer to ignite.

He birdied the par-three fifth but other than it was a case of pars through to the 14th when he followed a skewed tee shot by showing even he is human when he was unable to advance his ball from an awkward spot under some tree branches.

“I felt like I could get in there really low, like Seve used to, flick a four iron and just get back into play and on the way down caught a branch and obviously just completely went over the ball,” he said.

“I honestly can’t remember the last time I had a fresh air [shot]. Not one of my finer moments but nice to bounce back after that and play kike I did the last few holes.”

Yet, from that uncharacteristic moment, he responded in fine fashion by being aggressive off the tee at the 15th to help set up a birdie.

He then produced a brilliant second shot from off the fairway onto the green at the par-five 17th to ease the pressure as he fought to make the cut, before he set up a closing birdie with another fine approach.

“I knew it was going to take a bit of speed out of it, but it was one of those things that even if I was going to lay it up, I was going to have to contend with that branch or whatever that was that was sticking out of the ground," he said.

“I felt like I was aiming far enough left that I was giving myself a bit of a margin of error. It came out a bit further right than I thought it was going to.

“But rode my luck there a little bit but it worked out, came off, and it was a nice two putt birdie to give myself a nice cushion going down the last.”