Rory McIlroy slid a 5-foot birdie putt inside the left edge of the cup on Friday to make the cut on the number at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
In whipping winds at Yas Links, McIlroy had played the back nine in 4 over par before coming to the 591-yard par-5 18th. Typically a great birdie opportunity, players faced a 30-mph wind off the left, with water all way down the left side.
McIlroy needed to get up-and-down from 44 yards to shoot 75 and post 3-over 145, securing a weekend tee time. Only once has he missed the cut in his first start of the new year, in 2013.