Rory McIlroy Misses Cut at 2015 Honda Classic: Latest Comments, Reaction

Rory McIlroy is the best golfer on the planet right now, but his underwhelming performance at the 2015 Honda Classic serves as a cruel reminder that the game of golf shows no mercy.

McIlroy shot a four-over 74 Friday and seven-over for the tournament to miss the cut, per Reuters. Justin Ray of the Golf Channel noted that this will be McIlroy's first missed cut since the 2012 U.S. Open.

ESPN's Bob Harig had McIlroy's thoughts on missing his first cut in 988 days:

"

Yeah, I'm p----d off ... You want to be playing on the weekend, and I'm not there. Well, I'm here; I'm home. I'm not going to be playing this weekend -- which is not nice.

"

The four-time major champion made all of his PGA Tour cuts last season without a finish outside the top 25, and the only 2014 start in which he missed the cut came at the Irish Open.

Perhaps a letdown was bound to happen for McIlroy after he flashed fine form to start the calendar year, as he finished second in Abu Dhabi before winning at Dubai. McIlroy's young career has featured plenty of peaks and valleys. Thankfully, there have been more highs than lows as of late.

Jamie Kennedy of EuropeanTour.com highlighted just how far ahead McIlroy was in the world rankings before this week's letdown:

It is nevertheless a sad turn of events not to see McIlroy around for the last two rounds at PGA National, where he first ascended to No. 1 in the world in 2012 and lost in a playoff last year. Those who don't tune in for golf unless Tiger Woods is playing need someone like McIlroy to keep up his strong performances.

One silver lining is that McIlroy will likely be driven to work harder and get back on track. Even though it's so early in the season, a premature end to the Honda Classic isn't the tone McIlroy wanted to set.

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It remains to be seen which big stateside tournament McIlroy enters next. Golf fans would love to see him bounce back soon—at least in time to enter April's Masters on a high note.

The dream scenario would see McIlroy and Woods go head-to-head at Augusta National. After McIlroy's missed cut and Woods' recent lack of results and back troubles, though, both have plenty to prove. They each have ample time to round into form before strolling up Magnolia Lane.