Hong Kong - World number one Rory McIlroy looks certain to miss the cut at the $2 million UBS Hong Kong Open after he shot a disastrous two-over-par 72 in the second round on Friday that included a double-bogey.
The reigning Hong Kong Open champion, whose third-placed finish in Singapore last week saw him top the money lists on both sides of the Atlantic, made four bogeys and double-bogeyed his final hole to go five-over for the tournament.
With the halfway cut projected at two-over, the 23-year-old looks certain to be on the plane home. His only vague hope would be intervention by the weather, with rain forecast later in the day.
"I thought on the last (hole), I saw that the projected cut was plus-two, depending on the conditions and what the other guys did today, I wanted to try and hole it any way," said the Northern Irishman.
"I hit it a few feet by and then really knew that the second putt was the make-or-break putt. I lost concentration on the third, and missed that. So obviously not the week I wanted. I've got a few days to work on a few things."
The European Tour season ends next week with the lucrative DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. The Northern Irishman has already sealed the Race to Dubai after a hugely successful year.
He admitted to fatigue after his first-round 73 on Thursday and said after his title defence went up in smoke that he was looking forward to some time to rest.
"I always enjoy coming back here, it's just a pity that this year had to end like that," said McIlroy, who audibly groaned when his approach shot went wayward on the fifth hole, to gasps from the large watching crowd.
He bogeyed that hole, and two of the next three, before his double-bogey meltdown at the last.
He had birdied three of his first six holes, suggesting he was on the charge.
"The wind was tricky. It definitely made play a little trickier. I didn't putt very well in Singapore last week. This week was the same, so a bit of putting practice is required in Dubai," he said.
"If I was completely fresh I wouldn't have been making the mistakes I was making. I've got a couple of days to rest and then get ready for Dubai.
"I got off to a great start. I was minus-four for the first 10 holes or whatever and had a chance to go to minus-five and then I just started going the other way."