Rory McIlroy carded a 2-under 69 in the second round of The Open to give him back-to-back under-par rounds and, most importantly, a tee time on the weekend.

In 2019, the last time The Open Championship was played at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, native son Rory McIlroy missed the cut.

Rory McIlroy put his adoring gallery through the wringer again. Hole by hole for the first five, he stepped forward, fell back, stepped forward again, only to fall back before he steadied the ship and heart rates around Royal Portrush to finish the day on three under going into the weekend of the Open Championship.