Rory McIlroy's love/hate relationship with the BMW PGA at Wentworth took on another twist here as the world number one – defending a title he won last year – missed the cut in the European Tour's flagship event, and took solace that it would at least give him an extra few days rest before hosting next week's Irish Open.
“I’ll just dust myself and get ready [for Royal County Down],” said McIlroy who ran out of steam after a run of tournaments that saw him play 301 competitive holes in a 25-day period. In that time, he won twice – in the WGC-Cadillac Matchplay and the Wells Fargo Championship – but hit a wall on the West Course as mental fatigue caught up with him.
McIlroy – who is the tournament host of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open which will aid his charitable foundation, The Rory Foundation – crashed out with a 78 for 149, five-over, that left him four shots outside the cut mark.
“I’m not angry,” said McIlroy, “[JUST] a little disappointed. But if there was any weekend to miss, coming off the back of three good weeks in the States, I’m probably in need of a little bit of rest. I’d still rather be here but it’s not all bad getting to go home for the weekend.”
He added: “Any time you’re defending a title, you want to come back and give it a valiant effort. This week wasn’t really that . . . I am not going to read too much into it. It was inevitable at some point that the run was going to come to an end.
‘Refresh mentally’
“I’m sort of back to my usual at Wentworth. It wasn’t great before I won last year and it hasn’t been great after. It is what it is . . . If anything comes of this, it is just that I get a little bit of a rest over the next couple of days and feel a bit fresher for what’s going to be a really big week for me next week. I’ve a couple of days to refresh mentally and I’ll be okay.”
McIlroy’s relationship with this championship has been one of extremes: he missed the cut in 2012 and 2013, won last year, and has now missed the cut for a third time in four years.
Whatever happens in his absence over the next two days, McIlroy will remain top of the Race to Dubai standings.
Shane Lowry, runner-up to McIlroy here a year ago, heads the Irish challenge heading into the weekend. The Offaly man fired a second-round 67 for 141, three-under, to reach the midpoint in tied-17th and seven strokes adrift of leader Francesco Molinari of Italy.
In all, five Irish players – Lowry (141), Peter Lawrie (144), Damien McGrane (144), Graeme McDowell (145) and Darren Clarke (145) – survived the cut, which fell on one-over-par 145.
‘Lovely position’
Niall Kearney, unfortunately, missed out by a single stroke and, after failing to earn an invite into next week’s Irish Open at Royal County Down, will instead play in the Bangladesh Open on the Asian Tour.
“I am in a lovely position going into the weekend,” said Lowry.
“I am seven off the lead, in the top-20, maybe going into the weekend which is where you want to be. If I can get myself within three or four of the lead going into the final round on Sunday I feel like I can give it a go. Hopefully this will be the weekend that turns my season around.”
