Rory McIlroy Misses Cut at 2015 Irish Open: Latest Comments, Reaction

Cue the overreaction, vitriol and a fresh look at unfair comparisons between Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods.

Woods is the gold standard McIlroy always has to live up to. Two consecutive missed cuts only give McIlroy's critics more fuel, and that's what the current world No. 1 is facing after falling short of the weekend at the 2015 Irish Open, per ESPN.com's Bob Harig.

An opening round of nine-over 80 preceded Friday's disappointing 71 as McIlroy fell outside the cut line by four strokes at Royal County Down.

Justin Ray of the Golf Channel put McIlroy's situation into perspective:

Because of Woods' transcendent impact on the sport of golf, the game's top players will always be compared to him. But it is highly unlikely—if not impossible—that McIlroy can replicate Woods' tremendous success.

ESPN's Jason Sobel put it well when McIlroy posted scores of 71 and 78 last weekend in an abrupt exit from his title defense at the BMW PGA Championship:

After missing the cut last week, McIlroy said he wasn't too concerned with playing only two rounds at Wentworth, a course that hasn't suited his eye in the past.

"I'm not going to read too much into it," McIlroy said, per ESPN.co.uk's Alex Perry. "It was inevitable at some point the run was going to come to a bit of an end. I am back to my usual at Wentworth! It was not great before last year and it has not been great this year."

And no one should be worried about McIlroy's latest misstep at the Irish Open. He hadn't dropped a shot and had two birdies amid tough scoring conditions on Friday before a double bogey at the par-four 15th.

The reality is when all the parts of his game are clicking, McIlroy can be just as great as Woods was in his prime. Consistency still eludes McIlroy to a degree, but that doesn't mean he can't steady it over time. Woods' peak came rather early in his career—who's to say McIlroy's best isn't yet to come?

Those who are stuck in the Woods heyday should embrace the new generation of golfers, featuring McIlroy, Masters champion Jordan Spieth and Players Championship winner Rickie Fowler.

The depth of modern fields almost demands a more aggressive style of play, which will lead to more polarizing results.

Ray brought up a relevant point about what could be on the horizon for McIlroy, despite this setback:

"

Rory McIlroy will miss 2 straight cuts heading into U.S. Open. Big deal? In 2012, Webb Simpson missed last 2 cuts, then won at Olympic.

— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGC) May 29, 2015"

With the length and driving prowess McIlroy has, he has never been shy about throwing caution to the wind when it comes to course management. When he's a bit out of rhythm, missed cuts can happen.

No one should be panicking when it comes to McIlroy not playing the weekend. He's no doubt going to be disappointed, since he was so instrumental in luring many of the world's best players to play the Irish Open this year.

But bear in mind McIlroy was making his fifth straight start, and of the first three in that stretch, he won twice and placed in the top 10 at the Players Championship. Cut him some slack, let him enjoy his upcoming break, and get excited for McIlroy's stateside return at the U.S. Open.