Rory McIlroy secured his place for the weekend at TPC Sawgrass after a clutch birdie on the final hole of his second round. The Northern Irishman had entered the week without a practice round due to a back injury and admitted to being "incredibly rusty" in his opening 74. His 71 on Friday moved him inside the projected cut line at the PGA Tour's flagship event.

McIlroy's round featured mixed fortunes, with a birdie at the 10th and another at the par-five ninth salvaging his day. The 36-year-old dropped shots at the fourth and 14th but recovered with a two-putt birdie at the 16th. His playing partner Xander Schauffele set the clubhouse target at 10 under after a 65, leaving McIlroy 11 strokes back but safely inside the top 65.

The cut ensures McIlroy will compete in two more rounds at Sawgrass, which he called "a win" after fearing an early exit. The result also impacts his pre-Masters schedule, as he had planned to add another tournament had he missed the cut. With three PGA Tour events remaining before Augusta National, McIlroy now aims for a "respectable finish" rather than a title challenge.