NO ONE had seen a back nine like the one fashioned by Rory McIlroy Saturday at the Masters. Maybe, there was, when Tiger Woods held the golf world by its throat.
But during the second round, the player who Augusta National took joy tormenting, was in his element. Starting the day with a two-shot lead he shared with Sam Burns, McIlroy pulled away, firing six birdies in the back nine, including four in the last four holes.
In all, he had nine birdies for the day, against two bogeys.
That gave him a day’s best seven-under-par 65 and 12-under overall, to post the biggest 36-hole lead in Masters history.
He is six shots ahead of former LIV Golf player and 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, who shot 69, and first-round co-leader Sam Burns, who birdied three of his last four holes for a 71.
“It was getting past myself,” McIlroy said Friday, describing his mind-bending round. “It was staying aggressive. Like my little mantra to myself today was keep swinging. Keep swinging hard at it even if you’re not hitting fairways, just keep swinging.’”
“I’ve prepared as well for this Masters as any other that I’ve played,” he said. “I think all that work around the greens over the last three weeks has certainly paid off over the last two days.”
Three birdies in his first four holes catapulted McIlroy to an early solo three-shot lead. But he fell back with bogeys on the fifth and 10th holes, allowing Reed to share the lead.
Then came Amen Corner. On the tricky par 3 No. 12, he landed his tee shot within seven feet and converted. He missed the fairway on the par 5 13th, forcing him to lay up. But he got up and down from about 15 feet. On the 15th, he again missed the fairway. But his wedge saved him. On the 16th, his tee shot was the third closest at 3 feet, nine inches.
Of all the birdies, the most spectacular would be the 17th. He missed his approach but he chipped-in from 29 yards and many knew this was really going to be Rory’s day. The 18th was almost predictable. A good drive, an approach to inside 10 feet, another birdie.
The question now is: Can he sustain his magical game with two rounds left and join the group of Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Woods to win the Masters back-to-back?
Far from a done deal for Rory
The memory of Greg Norman’s collapse is a grim reminder that no lead is safe at the Masters. Norman had a six-shot lead in the final round of the Masters in 1996 and then lost to Faldo by five shots.
“It's one of those golf courses, you go out and you post a low number early, you just never know,” said Reed.
“When it starts playing firm and fast, you'll have shorter clubs into some greens. You have to be so precise on iron shots,” Reed added. “Then when you get above the hole you have to putt so defensive. Just have to wait and see what the weekend entails.”
Also chasing McIlroy are the trio of Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, and Tommy Fleetwood, seven strokes back at 5-under, all formidable challengers.
Rose had finished runner-up three times, including last year’s playoff loss against McIlroy, and is a major winner, while Fleetwood is ranked fourth in the world.
“When the conditions get tougher later in the day because it dries out and gets firmer and faster, a good round in the morning can make the world of difference,” Fleetwood said, during post-game interview. “So it can really help you.”
“The six-, seven-, eight-footers are tough here,” Rose said. “They can slide by if you're slightly off with your pace."
But still, many believe it is McIlroy’s championship to lose. The five-time major champion appears to have settled into a comfort zone and ready to add another chapter to his already impressive record.
Bryson DeChambeau, meanwhile missed the cut after scoring a triple bogey on the 18th, where he needed just a bogey to advance to the weekend.
He shot a two-over-par 74 and was 6-over for the tournament. The cut was at 4-over.
Jon Rahm made it on the number after scoring two-under-par 70.
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