McIlroy Takes Commanding Lead at The Masters

Rory McIlroy has significantly enhanced his chances of successfully defending his title at The Masters, achieving a historic six-stroke lead heading into the weekend at Augusta National. A year after winning the career Grand Slam by defeating Justin Rose in a playoff, McIlroy continued his pursuit of additional major victories with an impressive round of 65 on Friday afternoon. By doing so, he broke the record for the lowest 36-hole score by a defending champion, moving to 12 under par and establishing the largest halfway lead in the tournament's history. McIlroy is now the clear favorite to join an elite group of back-to-back Masters winners, including Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods. The defending champion birdied six of his last seven holes, pulling ahead of Sam Burns and former Masters champion Patrick Reed. Justin Rose and Shane Lowry posted second-round scores of 69, sharing fourth place with fellow Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood. McIlroy attributed his success to the course, stating, 'This course allows you to get on a roll. I didn't imagine birdieing six of the last seven holes, but I've always felt that when you're in the zone here, you can build momentum, and the crowd gets behind you, and you can just keep it going.' Tyrrell Hatton moved into a tie for seventh place with a six-under 66, while Bryson DeChambeau, who was among the pre-tournament favorites, missed the cut after triple-bogeying the final hole of his two-over 74. McIlroy initially shared the overnight lead after equaling the second-lowest round by a defending champion at The Masters. He quickly took control of the tournament, firing three consecutive birdies from the second hole. Although McIlroy gave the chasing pack hope when he missed a six-foot par putt at the fifth hole and failed to capitalize on the eighth hole, he reclaimed the solo lead and sparked another birdie streak with a seven-foot birdie on the 12th hole. He took advantage of the par-five 13th and 15th holes, just as he did on the opening day, and fired a stunning tee shot to kick-in range at the par-three 16th to move four clear of the pack. Reed bogeyed the last hole to fall back to six under, tied with Burns, who finished his one-under 71 with three birdies in his last five holes. McIlroy recovered from an errant drive at the 17th to finish just short of the green, where a sensational 30-yard chip-in extended his lead. He closed with an eight-foot birdie, capping off a memorable Friday. The lead matches the halfway advantage McIlroy held at the 2011 US Open, which he went on to win and claim his maiden major. Every player this century who has held a 36-hole lead of six or more shots has gone on to win. McIlroy expressed his desire to win at The Masters, stating, 'I desperately wanted to win here so I could come back every year, and thankfully, I was able to do that last year. So, doing that, when I miss fairways, it's fine. When I miss greens, it's fine. I feel like I'm playing with house money, which is a nice feeling to have.' He added, 'If I can just keep thinking well and making good decisions with whatever is put in front of me, and really just keep putting one foot in front of the other - hopefully, do that for the weekend, and everything works out.' Only 19 of the 54 players who made it to the weekend are under par at the halfway stage, with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler on level par - and 12 strokes off the pace - after a two-over 74. Can McIlroy defend his title at The Masters? Watch the opening major of the year exclusively live on Sky Sports.