Local favourite Tom McKibbin is likely to miss out on the weekend in Portrush by just one shot. Not surprisingly, the 22-year-old is unhappy not to make the cut for the first time in a major championship, although this was just his third one. McKibbin, who hails from Newtownabbey, had high hopes coming into the championship with the backing of the home support and with a lucrative start to his LIV career already banked. Getting his second round underway on 1-over par, McKibbin birdied the first to get off to a great start but a double bogey on 9 derailed him and dropped shots followed on 11 and 14. He did battle back with a birdie on 15, but he couldn't find another over his closing holes and a 73 is now expected to leave him just on the wrong side of the cut mark. "Not great," he remarked afterwards. "A little bit annoyed. Yeah, a little bit p***ed off. I think that's what's probably most annoying (to lose out by one shot). "This is probably the best I've played out of them all, just so many like stupid errors, just pins at the back of the green, hitting over the green. It's just where there's nothing really wrong with the shot. So I think that's what's a little bit frustrating. "The crowd supporting me the whole way round was amazing. The whole week was good, sort of positive. I thought I played all right, just a few sort of stupid mistakes that looking back, I wouldn't really hit different. The shot was fine, just sort of missed in the wrong spot or got the club slightly wrong. "Overall, I actually thought I played quite nicely, just a few silly mistakes. It's very hard obviously when you don't really play much links golf, and then you start playing it two days or three days before a tournament. Besides that, all good. I felt like I've been playing nicely." If he takes anything from the two rounds it is hitting those tee shots on the first. He was with Padraig Harrington in the first group out on Thursday. Along with Darren Clarke, McKibbin and Harrington will put the feet up to watch the weekend action. "I've hit two decent ones down there that I think now going forward," said McKibbin. "I don't think there will be many harder tee shots going forward from that. After that, nothing really too much." He only has three tournaments left on the LIV tour this season. "I'll give those all I have," he said, having already earned over €4m in prize money having decided to join the Saudi-backed tour rather than the PGA Tour. "I'll play a little bit of DP as well coming towards the end of the year as well. Gearing up for them." Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.