Rory McIlroy makes the cut at British Open but needs a big weekend for a 2nd claret jug

SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Rory McIlroy has done enough to make it to the weekend at Royal Birkdale.

He'll have to do much, much more to lift the claret jug.

The world No. 2 bounced back with a 3-under 67 in the second round at the British Open on Friday, ensuring he'll make the cut with his score of 1-under par overall.

The projected cut is currently at level par.

McIlroy knew he'd left a few shots out there, though, especially when he saw that two other morning starters — Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns — tied the major championship record with rounds of 62 in gorgeous conditions.

“It was a little better today,” McIlroy said, “but still didn’t feel 100% comfortable. Hopefully try to figure that out as the week goes on.”

He might have left it too late.

McIlroy was seven shots off the clubhouse lead held by Herbert, on 8-under par. More relevant might be No. 4-ranked Cameron Young being at 6 under, while players like top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau were just starting out their second rounds and already higher on the leaderboard.

McIlroy, who won the Open just down the road in Hoylake in 2014, struggled on the greens in shooting 72 on Thursday and said he still hasn't figured them out.

“I felt like I hit good putts and they did something completely different to what I saw in the read, and I think that’s a little unnerving,” he said.

McIlroy was, however, very happy with his driving. He drove the green on the par-4 ninth hole — for the second straight day — with a 377-yard tee shot that settled 11 feet from the pin, setting up the third of his four birdies on Friday.

Yet, for all his excellence off the tee, he has only made one birdie on the par 5s this week.

McIlroy hopes the conditions allow him to be aggressive off the tee over the weekend.

It might be his only hope of a victory.

“I think any time I can get a driver in my hand, I’m going to try to,” he said. "I just feel like with how I’m feeling with the driver, I think it’s a big advantage if I can get the ball down there and take out some of these fairway bunkers.

“l continue to do that when I can, and then I’m still trying to figure out these greens a little bit.”

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland play a shot from the light round on the 7th during the second day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts after playing a shot to the 2nd green during the second day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland looks at the lie of his putt on the 4th green during the second day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts on the 4th green after putting during the second day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A Danish police officer and two other people were shot Friday, including the suspected perpetrator, authorities said. One person was killed.

Police said in a statement on Facebook that a civilian died. The injured police officer was in stable condition, while the suspect is seriously wounded.

The shooting occurred in Nørresundby, in the North Jutland region in northern Denmark.

Police received a report of a fire in an industrial area of Nørresundby at 1:39 p.m. (1139 GMT) and rushed to the scene, Danish broadcaster DR reported.

The officers were met with gunshots, the statement said, and they returned fire. It wasn't immediately clear whether the police officer was shot by the suspect or injured in friendly fire. It also wasn’t immediately clear who the third injured person was, or who shot them.

The police were investigating what the motive was, but said they were treating the shooting as isolated.

Police said that the shooting was over by 3 p.m. (1300 GMT), but the investigation would continue, DR reported.

A column of black smoke was visible in photos and video from the scene. Further details weren’t immediately available.

Police respond near the scene of a shooting in Nørresundby, in the North Jutland region in northern Denmark, Friday, July 17, 2026. (Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Police respond near the scene of a shooting in Nørresundby, in the North Jutland region in northern Denmark, Friday, July 17, 2026. (Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Police respond to the scene of a shooting in Nørresundby, in the North Jutland region in northern Denmark, Friday, July 17, 2026. (Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)