JORDAN Smith had mixed emotions despite enjoying a major debut which so far includes a practice round with Rory McIlroy and making the cut in the US PGA Championship.

Derry Hill player Smith was just three shots off the lead when he followed an opening 70 with two early birdies in the second round at Quail Hollow, only to bogey five of the next eight holes.

The 24-year-old Bowood ace eventually carded a 75 to finish three over par and just a shot behind McIlroy, with American Kevin Kisner setting the clubhouse target on eight under par.

"Obviously I'm happy to have made the cut but I'm very disappointed because I got to three under for the tournament and had a few bogeys," said Smith, who won his maiden European Tour title at the Porsche European Open in Germany a fortnight ago.

"I just had a couple of bad swings, missed a couple of greens in the wrong spots and if you do that you have no hope.

"I like looking at leaderboards seeing what the cut line is and where I am, so I was looking all the way around and it was nice to see my name up there with the big guys.

"It's been awesome so far. I managed to catch Rory McIlroy talking about me (on TV) coming off 18 so that's a real confidence boost that they recognise that you're doing the right sort of things.

"I played nine holes with Rory on a practice day and they saw me nearly hole a shot going into one of the par fives and they were chatting about me."

Asked how he ended up playing with McIlroy in practice, 2016 Challenge Tour winner Smith added: "A good friend of mine knows Rory's caddie (Harry Diamond) so I got his contact details and chatted to him and managed to hook it up. It was awesome.

"I played with Tyrrell (Hatton) as well so it was us three. We had a nice bit of fun and had a little bet going down the last (for lowest score) and I nearly snuck $100 off Rory."

McIlroy holed from 15 feet to match Smith's par and avoid losing that bet.

Smith suffered around the turn in his second round before steadying the ship on the way home, finishing three over par in total and inside the top 50.

The Wiltshire man, who bounced back superbly on day one with five birdies in his final 13 holes having opened his round with a double-bogey on the first, made a contrasting start today.

Teeing off on the 10th, Smith rolled in for birdie from eight feet and when he did likewise from 16 foot on the 13th, the major championship rooke was incredibly within two strokes of teh top of the leaderboard.

However, he found trouble in the rough on the long 15th and dropped a shot before two more shots went at the 16th and the 18th - Quail Hollow's notorious 'Green Mile' to send him to the turn in over-over-par 37.

The first hole again proved a problem for the former Walker Cup player as he took five and another shot went at the short fourth hole.

Needing to steady the ship for the finish, Smith leaked a shot at the long seventh, but birdied the eighth and although another shot was dropped at the ninth - his last - he was safely inside the cut mark.

NEWS OF JORDAN'S PROGRESS OVER THE WEEKEND AT QUAIL HOLLOW AT GAZETTEANDHERALD.CO.UK/SPORT