( CNN ) -- Slumping World No.2 Rory McIlroy and defending champion Luke Donald will not be contesting the weekend action at the European Tour 's flagship event at Wentworth . With organizers still reeling from the controversy surrounding Sergio Garcia 's `` fried chicken '' jibe , the star attractions comfortably failed to make the halfway cut Friday at the PGA Championship . McIlroy 2013 travails continued as he followed a first round 74 with a 75 to finish on five-over 149 -- three outside the qualification mark . McIlroy 's Northern Ireland colleague Graeme McDowell , who is leading the European Tour 's Race to Dubai , finished on the same mark , while Donald , who went to No.1 in the rankings last season with his second straight title at the tournament , was a further shot adrift . Donald , who was on antibiotics , may have had an excuse in the freezing wet conditions on the West Course , and battled to a level-par 72 in his second round after a sorry 78 on the first day . But McIlroy , who came into the $ 6 million event saying he was pleased with his game , could offer little in the way of explanation for his poor showing . `` I did n't play particularly well today , '' he told Sky Sports . `` I 'm looking forward to getting back to some golf without four layers . Sometimes when the weather is bad I try to do too much with the ball and hit some bad shots . '' Standing four-over on the par-five17th , the U.S. PGA champion needed a birdie or better to get stand a chance of making the final two rounds . A wayward tee shot into the trees led to a double bogey seven and his chances were over . Garcia fared better and remained in contention after a battling 71 for one-under 143 , but trails halfway leader Francesco Molinari of Italy by five shots . Molinari 's superb four-under 68 in testing conditions has left the Italian Ryder Cup star one shot clear of South Africa 's George Coetzee , Scotland 's Marc Warren , Mark Foster of England and Spaniard Alejandro Canizares . London-based Molinari said he had adapted to the inclement British weather . `` Six under is a good score given the conditions - I live over here now so I am used to it - and I 'm in a great position going into the weekend , '' he told the official European Tour website . `` But it 's a really tough course so anyone six or seven behind is still in it . '' Other star attractions Lee Westwood and British Open champion Ernie Els were firmly in the picture on three under , the former showing his improved short game around the green on his way to a battling 71 . The crowds were also delighted as the oldest man in the event , the ever popular Spanard Miguel Angel Jimenez , made three birdies in the last four holes to finish on one-over 145 . European Ryder Cup captains past and present , Colin Montgomerie , Jose-Maria Olazabal and Paul McGinley , who takes charge of the team at Gleneagles next year , also survived for the weekend when the weather forecast is more favorable .
Rory McIlroy not cut at PGA Championship at Augusta . World leader three shots outside the mark on the North Course . Holder Luke Donald and Race to Dubai winner Graeme McDowell also exit . Italy 's Francesco Molinari leads the way at flagship event .