CARNOUSTIE, Scotland — Rory McIlroy spoke the language every sports fan wants to hear.

The words he uttered after shooting a second consecutive 69 in the British Open on Friday at Carnoustie to stand at 4-under par and two shots out of the lead shared by Zach Johnson and Kevin Kisner through 36 holes spoke to all of us who love sports.

“If I’m going down,’’ McIlroy said, “I’m going to go down swinging.’’

Music to our ears. Bring it on.

“Look, I’ve been a little bit too careful and tentative when I’ve been in these big tournaments,’’ McIlroy said. “The last day at Augusta, even the first day at Shinnecock, I just felt a little bit too … I was holding on a little too much.

“So this week, one of my main thoughts is just to let it go — just go out there and give it your all. I’d rather fail by trying 100-percent than by sort of holding back and maybe not giving myself the opportunity to do well.’’

That’s what left McIlroy with the taste of a two-week-old pimento cheese sandwich in his mouth after the Masters in April. He felt like he went down meekly. And as a competitor, there’s no more agitating, empty feeling than that.

McIlroy entered the final round of the Masters three shots behind leader Patrick Reed and was paired with him. Because McIlroy was a multiple major championship winner and Reed was seeking his first, most expected McIlroy to thrive and for Reed to wilt.

Except it went the other way. McIlroy, who looked like the moment was too big for him, shot 74 and fell to fifth, six shots behind Reed, the winner.

Two months later, McIlroy shot 80 in the opening round of the U.S. Open, again never looking comfortable and missing his trademark swagger.

Why has he been playing so tentatively?

“I don’t know, worrying too much about the result, not focusing as much on the process,’’ McIlroy said. “Sunday at Augusta was a big learning curve for me because, even if I hadn’t won that tournament but I went down swinging and aggressive and committing to every shot, I would have walked away a lot happier.

“So I’m committed to making sure, even if I don’t play my best golf and don’t shoot the scores I want, I’m going to go down swinging, and I’m going to go down giving it my best. I think that was it — focusing on the results too much. The result is just the byproduct of all the little things you do to lead up to that. I’ve sometimes forgotten that, and just need to get back in that mindset.’’

This week at Carnoustie has been a fascinating test to that, because the narrow fairways and deep pot bunkers on the treacherous course are forcing a lot of players — big enough hitters — to lay back, keep the driver in the bag and play more conservatively. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are a couple of those players who’ve abstained from use of the driver often.

McIlroy’s game plan this week has been to use driver to take a lot of the bunkers out of play, because with his length he can carry them.

On Friday, though, McIlroy was faced with having to curb his bomber mentality, because the rain that fell for most of the day (and through all of his round) softened the thirsty, browned-out terrain just enough to bring the bunkers back into play.

So on Friday, McIlroy hit only six drivers, employing impressive patience.

“It was just damp enough and cold enough that the game plan that I was trying to adapt to be aggressive and hit driver a lot, I just couldn’t do it, because all the bunkers were in play,’’ he said.

As it dries over the weekend (with no significant rain in the forecast), expect to see McIlroy, who won the last of his four majors in 2014, which makes him 0-for-his-last-14, going for the downs — the way Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton do at Yankee Stadium.

“I’m in a great position going into the third day,’’ McIlroy said. “I’m happy to be in with a shot (to win). Hopefully, I can go out and play well again [Saturday], and then that will be a big chance going into Sunday.’’

Whether he has a chance or not by day’s end Saturday, and whether he wins or not Sunday, one thing is certain: McIlroy will leave nothing in the bag.

And that’s something for every sports fan to admire, final result be damned.