Something was wrong as Rory McIlroy’s right hand flew from his club, but the warning signs had been clear long before then. As his approach into the 11th tumbled down the bank and into the pond beside the green, McIlroy slumped at the realisation that another chance was slipping by at the Masters. But, unlike 12 months ago, there is no hope of a comeback from here. For only the second time since his debut at Augusta, McIlroy will surely be missing from the weekend after finishing his Friday with an overall score of +5.
Whether McIlroy makes the cut is now out of his hands. Although his fate may have been delayed by the storms that descended on Augusta, there was a resigned look as he took off his cap after a closing bogey at the 18th, before heading up the hill to sign a card of 77 – declining to speak to waiting reporters as he did so.
