A battling Tiger Woods rediscovered some of the old magic at the British Open on Friday but the American had to pack for home after failing to make the cut at Royal Portrush.

The 15-time major champion carded a one-under 70 but it failed to repair the damage of Thursday when he struggled with back pain and shot an ugly 78.

Woods, who won the last of his three British Opens in 2006, made four birdies in his first 11 holes and looked to be in with a shout of surviving until the weekend.

He birdied the first and the smile returned as he rolled in another at the sixth. A bogey at the seventh halted his momentum but he birdied 10 and 11 to get the fans roaring.

It was always a long shot though, with the cut expected to be at around one over, and Woods' hopes vanished with bogeys at the 17th and 18th.

"I'm going to take a couple of weeks off and get ready for the play-offs (August 8-25)," said exhausted Woods. "After that, have a break. I just want to go home."

"One of the hardest things to accept as an older athlete is that you're not going to be as consistent as you were at 23. I'm going to have my hot weeks."

Besides Woods, another American golfer Phil Mickelson also played in the same major 77 times as a professional.

This was the first time both missed the cut.

The 49-year-old Mickelson, who opened with a 76, made double bogey on the par-5 second hole and never quite recovered. 

He shot 74 on Friday and missed the cut at the British Open for the second time in three years.

In comparison, Woods missed the cut in 10 majors as a pro. Mickelson missed for the 14th time as a pro.

They just had never done it at the same one.

Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland, UK, made a charge that delighted the hometown fans, but it was not enough for him to make the cut at the championship.

A day after he imploded with a 79 that began with his first tee shot going out of bounds, McIlroy delivered the performance that local fans were expecting. 

He shot a 6-under 65 to move back to 2 over for the tournament, just outside the projected cut-line of one over.

At the end, the crowd filling the giant grandstand around the 18th green rose to cheer their hero, and McIlroy applauded them back.

"To play in front of those crowds today and to feel that momentum and really dig in, it's going to be a tough one to get over," he said after his two-over 144 score.

"I'll probably rue the finish yesterday, dropping five shots on the last three holes, but I felt like I gave a good account of myself today and I can leave here with my head held high.

"Unbelievably proud of how I handled myself today coming back and just full of gratitude towards every single one of the people that followed me to the very end and was willing me on."

Shane Lowry of Ireland went into the weekend with a share of the lead with J.B. Holmes of the U.S. at the championship.

Lowry opened with three straight birdies and became the first player to reach double figures under par when he holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the 10th hole as the roar from the gallery pierced the heavy air and rain.

Holmes, the first round leader after an opening 66, added a three-under 68 to take the clubhouse lead and showed no signs of slowing down at the British Open.