“HE’S MISSED IT!”
So said a member of the gallery late on Day 2 at the 2025 Crown Australian Open.
Tournament drawcard Rory McIlroy had hearts in mouths as he flirted with disaster at Royal Melbourne’s par-5 14th hole, spraying his tee-shot before a swing-and-a-miss in the shrubs led to a rare par-5 bogey and pushed him outside the cut line.
Sitting on the brink, the World No.2 summoned a champion’s response, birdieing three of his final four holes – 15, 17 and 18 – to rescue both his round and Australian Open officials’ nerves ahead of a blockbuster weekend, with Aussie crowd favourites Min Woo Lee (8-under), Adam Scott (7-under) and Cameron Smith (7-under) all at the pointy end of the leaderboard heading into Saturday.
McIlroy’s late surge lifted him to 2-under and safely into the weekend, keeping the star power very much alive at the Crown Australian Open.
But it was his uncharacteristic whiff that had everyone talking. Watch it here:
“I was trying to get in really low, sort of like Seve, flick it back into play, and I caught a branch on the way down and completely missed the ball,” McIlroy said after his round.
“I can’t remember the last time I had a fresh air. Not one of my finer moments on 14.”
Maybe not, but thanks to Rory’s brilliant finish, this could be one of the Australian Open’s finest finishes. Buckle up!
