Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy has produced an impressive fightback to make the cut at The Players Championship on Friday, where he secured his place in the weekend field by a stroke.
A disastrous front nine run on Friday, during which McIlroy dropped six shots in five holes, looked like condemning the former world No.1, who started day two at two under par with aspirations of challenging the leaders, to a fourth missed Sawgrass cut in five visits.
However, The Guardian reports that McIlroy made a wonderful recovery from there on, reaching the turn in 42 strokes and sitting at plus four by playing the back nine in 10 shots fewer than the front, displaying his 'stomach' for the battle as he holed out from 12ft on the 18th.
Phil Mickelson had no such success, with the Open champion missing the cut by one at the event led by German Martin Kaymer, who added a 69 to his course record-equalling 63 to lead at 12 under par at the summit of proceedings, the report added.