By Torleif Sorenson on 5/29/15

The last five weeks for world number-one golfer Rory McIlroy have gone from sweet to terribly sour. In playing five consecutive weeks, Rors has gone from winning the WGC-Cadillac Match Play, tying for 8th at the Players Championship, then winning the Wells Fargo at Quail Hollow... to shooting 71-78 to miss the cut at the prestigious BMW PGA Championship last week.

And following on yesterday's disastrous opening-round 80 at the Irish Open at Royal County Down, McIlroy battled through rain and wind to shoot a level par 71. But for the second straight week, he missed the cut:


Things started steadily for McIlroy today with six pars, then he raised eyebrows with this at the 7th:

Rory gives the home crowd something to cheer about. #DDFIrishOpen http://t.co/3sNkpJHBD3

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) May 29, 2015

He turned in 1-under 34, then made another birdie at the 12th. But a double at the par-4 15th brought him back to earth.

Kudos to Rory for shooting a 71 on a day when the field averaged noticeably worse. But with the cut line at +5 147, McIlroy's 80-71 = 151 (+9), the "Holywood Matinee Idol" has MC'd at the Irish Open for the third straight year.

If any golfer playing in the U.S. Open needs two weeks off right now, it is Rory McIlroy.

Tied at the top

The top of the Irish Open leaderboard is almost as jammed as the outbound Ike, with six players at (-3) 139: Bernd Wiesberger (AUT), 2006 U.S. Amateur champion Richie Ramsay (SCO), Søren Hansen (DEN), Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Englishman Chris Wood, and his fellow countryman Tyrrell Hatton.

Hatton put on quite a show today:

The best round on the course just got better. #DDFIrishOpen http://t.co/oiMs23zN8N

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) May 29, 2015

Tyrrell Hatton becomes just the 2nd player in history to shoot 66 at Royal County Down. Ties the lead. #DDFIrishOpen pic.twitter.com/TAhgAHJpE0

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) May 29, 2015

Popular Irishman Pádraig Harrington and popular Englishman Luke Donald are tied for seventh at (-2) 140.

Here Comes The Rain Againnnn...

Rain has hampered the two biggest tournaments in golf this week. Four inches of overnight rain plastered the AT&T Byron Nelson in Texas, while the weather in Northern Ireland has made golf and golf spectating at Royal County Down a bit unpleasant:

Today's average score: 74.4. pic.twitter.com/AQYKauDOw8

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) May 29, 2015

Northern Irish golf fans come prepared. pic.twitter.com/lPNrRebjOx

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) May 29, 2015

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