Rory McIlroy miles off the pace 24 hours after playing hungover

Rory McIlroy is miles off the pace at the halfway stage of the RBC Canadian Open. 

The 35-year-old PGA Tour star had hoped to make a dash up the leaderboard on day two here at Hamilton Golf & Country Club after an impressive opening four-under 66. 

He played the first round with a sore head after celebrating his caddie Harry Diamond's birthday with a few glasses of red wine. 

However after the solid opening 18, the Ulsterman went backwards on Friday and now lies eight strokes behind leaders Robert MacIntyre and Ryan Fox following his two-over 72. 

McIroy's round was littered with mistakes and in truth he was fortunate he didn't flirt with the cut line more after smashing his second shot on the par-4 18th hole into the lip of the bunker. 

But McIlroy caught a stroke of luck and somehow managed to escape the hole with a par when things could've been a whole lot worse. 

At the other end of the leaderboard MacIntyre carded a four-under 66 to reach a 10-under total, which was matched later in the day by Kiwi Ryan Fox, who fired an impressive 64. 

Joel Dahmen, Andrew Novak, Mackenzie Hughes and David Skinns were also inside the top-10. 

MacIntyre is playing this week with his father Dougie on the bag. 

After the first round, MacIntyre joked he was a bit out of his depth. 

So why has he started this week so well?

"I've been giving myself a lot of chances," MacIntyhre said. 

"When I missed the green I've had a good short game. To be honest, I think I've missed it in the right spots. 

"I miss it fat side of the green, not short sided and we can kind of run it. If not, we fly it over it. But, no, I think overall it's been a good two days."

Asked about his expectations with dad on the bag for the next two days, MacIntyre said: "Who knows. I'm going to go out there and do the same stuff, hit as many fairways as I can, hit as many good shots as I can, just keep doing the same stuff. 

"As I keep saying, it's not rocket science, it's not -- it's a golf course. It's you versus it. I think I've done a good job so far."

Notable names to miss the cut included the defending champion, Nick Taylor, Cameron Young and Sahith Theegala.

View the full leaderboard here. 

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