Rory McIlroy appeared down and out at The Open after an eight-over-par opening round of 79 at the Northern Ireland course.
The 2014 champion started disastrously as hit his first tee shot out of bounds en route to a quadruple bogey and ended the day 13 shots behind leader J.B. Holmes.
But roared on by the Northern Irish natives, McIlroy produced an inspired performance on the second day with five birdies in seven holes on the back nine putting him in contention to make the projected +1 cut line.
Yet needing a birdie and a par from the final two holes, McIlroy parred the 17th and left himself with too much to do on the 18th after his second shot, which fell down the steep gradient to the left of the green.
That meant despite carding a record-equalling 65 since the course’s redesign, he finished one shot short on an agonising +2 as he was made to pay for his woeful first round.
McIlroy – who received a standing ovation after finishing his second day – will therefore be absent from the third and fourth rounds on Saturday and Sunday, with the top 70 players all progressing.
The 30-year-old, visibly emotional, had to take a pause in his interview in front of the Sky Sports cameras as he fought back tears.
Four-time Major winner McIlroy said: “Part of me is very disappointed not to be here for the weekend. I’m emotional but happy with how I played.
“The support I got out there was incredible and you could see on the back nine, I went with it today and that’s what I was planning to do all week.
“Yesterday gave me a mountain to climb but I dug in and showed really good resilience.
“It’s going to hurt for a little bit but I’ve got a tournament to play in Memphis next week so I’m going turn my attention to that
“This has been a week I’ve really been looking forward to for a long time. I didn’t play my part but everyone in Northern Ireland that came out to watch me, they definitely played theirs.”
Tiger Woods was among the other big names to finish below the cut line, having been well adrift at six over par.
Shane Lowry and American Holmes are the joint leaders at eight under, with English duo Tommy Fleetwood and Lee Westwood – who has yet to win a Major – both one shot back.
Justin Rose is six under and tied for fifth with Australian Cameron Smith and Justin Harding of South Africa.
Elsewhere defending champion Francesco Molinari also scraped through on one over after a 69 but Phil Mickelson and Ian Poulter both failed to make the cut.
And McIlroy’s fellow Northern Irishman Darren Clarke also missed out in agonising style as a triple bogey at the final hole meant he ended on three over.