The China Mail - McIlroy survives as Min Woo Lee surges into Australian Open hunt

The vast crowds were out for McIlroy but Lee showed why he is a PGA Tour winner as he sank a nine-iron on his second shot from 176 metres at the par-4 10th at Royal Melbourne to help him to a 65.

It took him to eight-under par and one off the co-leaders -- Denmark's Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (66) and Portugal's Daniel Rodrigues (64).

Lee erupted with an aeroplane celebration knowing he put himself in the hunt for a first Stonehaven Cup in front of bumper crowds.

"It was just random and felt good," Lee said of the celebration. "It was a big crowd, so I was just doing random stuff."

He added: "If I keep playing like this, it's very solid golf, I'll be pretty happy."

Lee's playing partner Adam Scott was a shot back at seven-under, tied with former British Open winner Cam Smith (65) and LIV golfer Carlos Ortiz (70).

After treading water with one birdie in 13 holes, McIlroy had the crowds gasping when he made an air-swing in the trees on the par-5 14th en route to a bogey.

He fell to one-over for the tournament and one shot outside the projected cut-line.

"That was not one of my finer moments on 14, I can't remember the last time I had a fresh air (swing) but I was trying to get in really low like Seve (Ballesteros) and flick it back into play," he said.

"I caught a branch on the way down and completely missed the ball."

The five-time major champion channelled his sublime talent when he reached for the driver with the tee shot on the devilish but short par-4 15th.

He nearly drove the green and made the first of three birdies in his last four holes that took him from staring down a missed cut to two-under and just seven shots behind the lead.

"I think it would have been a big downer for everyone involved if I wasn’t here for the weekend," McIlroy said.

"I needed to play those last four holes the way I did. I don't feel like I'm that far behind."

Scott, the 2009 Australian Open winner, said the first edition at Royal Melbourne since 1991 was "probably" shaping up to be the biggest one he had played in 25 years as a professional.

The former world number one made the turn in one-under before a late flurry featuring an eagle at the 14th and two other back-nine birdies.

"We've been lucky to have great Australian Opens in the past but I just think it's been a few years since we've had this level of hype around it," he said.

"I'm really proud to be playing in front of them and they're turning up for Rory."

Q.Moore--ThChM