Rory McIlroy shot 1-under 71 in the Irish Open’s first round on Thursday and followed it up with a 66 on Friday. Notably, the Northern Irishman hit consecutive bogeys late on the opening day and ensured to stay bogey-free on the following day. The golfer moved up to sit T3 at seven under after the round.McIlroy settled five strokes behind leader Joakim Lagergren. The Swede shot 62 in Round 3 at the K Club to clinch a one-shot lead over France’s Adrien Saddier. Interestingly, McIlroy admitted being ‘pleased with the day’s work’ at the DP World Tour event. The reigning Masters champion, moved by the large crowd backing him at the venue, said he was feeling good about his round.Notably, the grand slam champion added that he ‘couldn't believe’ flirting with an albatross on the par-5 18th. He missed and 8-foot eagle putt and settled for a birdie.Rory McIlroy said after the second round, as quoted by ASAP Sports:“I felt like I hit the ball pretty similarly to yesterday, maybe gave myself a few more chances with the approach shots. Yeah, I just didn't make a bogey, which was nice. A couple of good par saves on the back nine and finished well with a couple of birdies on the last three holes.”Speaking about his albatross miss following a birdie on the par-4 17th, the five-time major winner added:“I couldn't believe. I was hitting a three-quarter 8-iron. I couldn’t believe how much it came back. Yeah, it looked like it nearly flew into the hole… I’m really pleased with the day’s work, and it keeps me within touching distance going into the weekend.”For the unversed, the ace golfer faced some trouble on the par-5 16th, after shooting his second shot into the water. However, he salvaged par after taking a drop.Rory McIlroy on 'thousands' following him at The K ClubRory McIlroy was moved by the large crowd following him at The K Club. The Northern Irishman, returning to the course after winning here in 2016, said he was “looking forward” to playing the weekend with fans cheering him on. He dubbed the support ‘incredible.’Replying to a media query about ‘thousands’ following during his walk down on18, Rory McIlroy said:“Yeah, amazing. The whole day, even just walking to the range for the warmup today, the support is absolutely incredible. I'm looking forward to playing in that atmosphere for the next couple days as well.”For the unversed, McIlroy’s surge sets up a compelling weekend where the PGA Tour icon attempts to win another European title. It’ll be interesting to see how he fares on 'moving day'.