Watch: Rory McIlroy gets huge reception from fans at the Irish Open for the second day straight

16-time DP World Tour winner Rory McIlroy got a huge ovation at the Horizon Irish Open for the second straight day as he entered the K Club's Palmer North Course.

It's no secret that McIlroy is one of the most beloved golfers of our time, and it was evident once again on Friday, September 8th. In a video shared by DP World Tour, Rory is seen entering the range, and fans in huge numbers were eagerly awaiting to witness their local hero in action for the second day.

As the 34-year-old Northern Irishman entered Palmer North, fans erupted, and the entire course resounded with applause and shouts of 'Rory!'

McIlroy is returning to Ireland's premier golf event for the first time since 2021. He has competed in this event 13 times since making his debut here in 2005 as an amateur.

Rory McIlroy has made the cut eight times in his 13 starts at the Irish Open and emerged victorious in 2016 after shooting 12-under. For the uninitiated, 2016 was the first time the K Club hosted the event.

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How did Rory McIlroy perform in the first round of the Irish Open?

The 34-year-old Northern Irishman shot 3-under 69 on the first day to finish at T27 alongside his threesome partners Billy Horschel and Adrian Meronk.

McIlroy began his first round with a bogey on hole 10. However, he quickly made a birdie on the next hole. He made two more birdies and a bogey before finishing his round with back-to-back birdies on the final two holes.

He was quoted as saying via ESPN:

"Didn't really feel great with anything. It's hard to say I'm rusty when I've only had a week off but I just haven't had a chance to practice much and I just hit a few loose shots out there."

However, the star of the day was Shubhankar Sharma, who topped the leaderboard after shooting an impressive 7-under 65 on Thursday. He made five birdies and an eagle on the par-4 Hole 18. Sharma continued his excellent performance on the second day, shooting 6-under 66, bringing his total to 13-under after 36 holes at K Club.

Defending champion Adrian Meronk started with two consecutive birdies but managed to make only three more, while also recording two bogeys, ending the day at 3-under 69. This marks his first event after being left out of the Ryder Cup squad earlier this week.

Meronk had stated before the Irish Open that despite the emotional setback, he would use his shock and anger as motivation for this week's event.

He said as per Irish Examiner Sport:

"Obviously it's a hard one to swallow, I thought I'd done enough to be on that team but it is what it is, I wish them good luck and I will just focus on my game and move forward."

2009 champion Shane Lowry, who secured a Ryder Cup spot despite an underwhelming season, shot 4-under 68 on Thursday, finishing the day tied for 13th. He is looking for his first top-10 finish since the Honda Classic in February.