Rory McIlroy & Luke Donald miss US Open cut at Olympic

Defending champion Rory McIlroy and world number one Luke Donald missed the cut at the US Open after failing to recover from poor first rounds.

World number two McIlroy missed out by two shots after carding a three-over-par 73 to finish 10 over.

Donald, still chasing his first victory in a major, carded 72 to finish 11 over at the testing Olympic Club.

McIlroy and Donald struggled from the outset in San Francisco and carded 77 and 79 respectively in round one.

McIlroy won by eight shots and broke a host of scoring records when he finished on 16 under at a rain-softened Congressional 12 months ago but the 23-year-old was unable to cope with the firmer, faster conditions of Olympic's Lake Course.

The Northern Irishman, who played alongside Donald and world number three Lee Westwood in the more difficult afternoon conditions on Thursday, leaked five more bogeys and made two birdies early on Friday.

McIlroy, who was world number one for a spell earlier this year, missed three consecutive cuts recently before going close in his last PGA Tour event before the US Open.

"It's just such a demanding golf course and punishes the slightest shot that's off-line or that's maybe not the right distance," said McIlroy.

"You really have to be so precise out there and if you're not, you're going to get punished. We're just not used to playing this sort of golf course week-in, week-out.

"We're not used to having to land balls before the edge of the greens to let them run on. It's just something that you have to adjust to in this tournament. I wasn't able to do that very well this week.

"It hasn't been the greatest run over the last six weeks, or whatever it is, but I still see enough good stuff in the rounds that gives me hope that it's not very far away."

Englishman Donald, 34, has won six times in 15 months and was expected to be better suited to the patience and control required at a typically tough US Open set up.

But his quest for a first major title continues after mixing five bogeys with three birdies.

"It was a little better today, but little consolation obviously," he said.

"I think I missed nine putts inside 10 feet yesterday and just couldn't get the feel for the greens, the reads, the speed.

"And if I had putted a little bit better yesterday I could have ground out a score today and maybe been somewhere decently placed for the weekend.

"But it wasn't to be and I'm trying to learn from it and come back stronger next time."

Donald's next chance to break his major duck comes at the Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes next month, but he has just the one top 10 finish in 11 previous attempts in Britain.

Westwood shot 72 to be five over, the same as Ian Poulter (75), while another Englishman, Justin Rose, was one better after also carding 75.

Simon Dyson (74) and qualifier Matthew Baldwin (74) just sneaked in on eight over, but Lee Slattery (70) ended nine over and Robert Rock (78) missed out by five shots.

Scotland's Martin Laird ended nine over after a 72 and Ireland's Peter Lawrie finished 11 over after a 77.