Rory McIlroy nervously avoids Australian Open cut as Min Woo Lee lights up

More than once, Australian Open organisers must have been sweating over whether Rory McIlroy would be playing this weekend.

A hefty price tag came with securing the services of the five-time major winner for this year's tournament, held at the prestigious Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

The announcement made in May that McIlroy would be contesting the Australian Open sparked a frenzy of ticket purchases, resulting in Saturday and Sunday's rounds to be sold out.

And more than 40,000 spectators had descended on Royal Melbourne over the opening two days, hoping to see the reigning Masters champion in action.

But on Friday, McIlroy was staring at a shock exit and an early flight out of Melbourne.

With the projected cut sitting at even-par, McIlroy slipped to 1-over amid dramatic circumstances on the 14th hole.

After his ball landed underneath tree branches alongside the fairway, McIlroy misjudged an attempted shot and could only manage an air swing.

The packed spectator gallery and a sizeable broadcast audience watched on in astonishment.

He eventually salvaged a bogey but was sitting below the projected cut with only four holes to play.

McIlroy responded in emphatic fashion, unleashing his driver from the tee on his way to registering a birdie on the 15th hole, before shooting par for the 16th to earn some breathing space.

But a miscued tee shot on the par-five 17th hole created more uncertainty over whether the Northern Irishman would survive to play this weekend.

On the rough to the side of the fairway, McIlroy found his view to the green obscured by trees, while an errant branch near his ball served as another obstacle to clear.

But showing the poise that has helped him achieve a career grand slam, McIlroy found the green and claimed a much-needed birdie after missing a difficult eagle putt.

He picked up another shot on the 18th hole to be 2-under for the tournament and safely among the start list when the third round commences on Saturday, much to the relief of those footing his bill.

"I needed to play those last four holes the way I did," said McIlroy, who recorded a 3-under 68.

"Not one of my finer moments on 14 — I can't remember the last time I had a fresh air.

"I was trying to get in really low, flick it back in the play, and I caught a branch on the way down and completely missed the ball.

"The drive on 15 was a big shot because … it could have been a turning point one way or another.

"I played the last few holes pretty well, so I don't feel like I'm that far by. I certainly haven't had my best stuff.

"But I turned it on when I needed to there [in] the last few holes."

Mcillroy acknowledged there was much at stake as he flirted with missing the cut.

"I think that would've been a big downer for everyone involved if I wasn't here for the weekend," he said.

Lee brings crowd to life

Given his talent, it seemed appropriate Min Woo Lee's charge up the leaderboard was kickstarted by a moment of brilliance, rather than old-fashioned graft.

Lee finished the second round on 8-under, one stroke behind co-leaders Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen of Denmark and Portugal's Daniel Rodrigues.

When he teed off on the par-four 10th hole, Lee was sitting five shots off the lead.

Playing alongside McIlroy and Adam Scott, the West Australian had finished the front nine holes at 2-under for the round.

It was a solid but unspectacular return in benign weather conditions, which lacked the strong crosswinds of day one.

On the 10th hole, Lee's tee shot landed to left of the fairway, 176 metres from the pin. A birdie seemed possible, if he could get the ball on the green to set up a regulation putt.

The odds of a birdie shortened when Lee's approach shot dropped 12 metres from the hole, as the gallery watched on.

The spectators crowded around the green then erupted as the ball bounced and trickled its way into the hole for an eagle.

As is his custom, Lee celebrated with gusto.

"I haven't hit many three-quarter shots and it was a three-quarter nine-iron," Lee said.

"Obviously with firm greens, you don't want to hit it too low. So that was an opportunity for a back pin and it came off [perfectly]."

With McIlroy's battle to avoid the cut and Lee adding to his highlight reel, Adam Scott's solid round could have easily gone unnoticed.

Scott put himself in contention for his first Australian Open crown since 2009 with a 5-under 66.

An eagle on the par-five 14th hole stood out alongside four birdies, with a bogey on the second hole his only blemish.

Scott was joined on 7-under after 36 holes by Cameron Smith, with the 2022 British Open champion producing a bogey-free 65.