The Open 2019: Tour pros praise Rory’s grit after epic Friday charge falls short

Rory McIlroy dug himself quite a hole with his first round at the Open Championship at Royal Portrush. After an opening score of 79 — eight over par — it seemed as if nothing short of a miracle in the second round would allow him to make the cut.

But against all odds, McIlroy rallied mightily on Friday, going out in two under par on the front nine, and carding a scintillating five birdies and one bogey on his back nine. He signed for a second-round 65, which matched the low round of the tournament and brought him to within a single shot of the cutline. Though his epic charge came up short, his grit and indefatigability in the face of adversity wasn’t just an inspiration to his fans; his fellow Tour pros took to social media to voice their support as well.

Even as a competitor and trying to beat the guy every week, sometimes I have to step back and realize how great @McIlroyRory is for golf. How he handles the spotlight, the highs, the lows, his social life, the fans, his golf, everything.. it’s awesome to watch

— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) July 19, 2019

Fair play to Rory. Probably the most disappointing 65 you could ever shoot but boy, he has so much class. ????‍♂️

— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) July 19, 2019

@McIlroyRory Hold your head high mate. Was impressed by what you did today. But more impressed with what you and your fellow countrymen did to get @TheOpen back to your Homeland. I am sorry I never had a chance to play such a classic links in @royalportrush Pure golf!

— Greg Norman (@SharkGregNorman) July 19, 2019

Thats a great tweet @JustinThomas34. I repeatedly see that everywhere he goes whether he has played well or not. Way to play today @McIlroyRory, could have been easy to mail it in. https://t.co/1cl8lA45CO

— Brad Faxon (@BradFaxon) July 19, 2019

❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/oqkMCSLuPq

— Jessica Korda (@Thejessicakorda) July 19, 2019

McIlroy was the 8/1 odds-on favorite coming into the week, and anticipation for his performance had been building since Portrush was announced as the 2019 venue. This week marks the first cut he’s missed in a major championship since last year’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock.

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