McIlroy Makes Historic Move at The Masters

Rory McIlroy took a significant step towards defending his title at The Masters, achieving a historic six-shot lead going into the weekend at Augusta National. Following his career Grand Slam victory over Justin Rose the previous year, McIlroy continued to push for more major success with an impressive round-of-the-day 65 on Friday afternoon. This performance broke the record for the lowest 36-hole score by a defending champion, positioning McIlroy at 12 under and making him the firm favorite to join the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods as a back-to-back winner of The Masters. McIlroy birdied six of his last seven holes, outpacing Sam Burns and former Masters winner Patrick Reed, while Justin Rose and Shane Lowry shared fourth place with Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood after posting second-round 69s. McIlroy attributed his success to the course, stating, 'This course allows you to get on runs... I've always felt like when you're feeling it around here, you can gain momentum, and the crowd gets on your side, and you can just keep it rolling.' Tyrrell Hatton moved into a tied-seventh position 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 held a share of the overnight lead after equalling the second-lowest round by a defending champion at The Masters. He quickly took control of the tournament by firing three consecutive birdies from the second. Despite briefly losing his advantage, McIlroy reclaimed the lead and sparked another birdie charge with a seven-foot birdie on the iconic 12th hole. He took advantage of the par-five 13th and 15th, just as he did on the opening day, and moved four clear of the pack with a stunning tee shot at the par-three 16th. McIlroy recovered from an errant drive at the 17th, finishing just short of the green, where a sensational 30-yard chip-in further 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 every player this century who has held a 36-hole buffer of six or more shots has gone on to win. McIlroy expressed his desire to win at The Masters, stating, 'I so desperately wanted to win here so I could come back each year... 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 sort of playing with the house's money, which is a nice feeling to have.' With only 19 of the 54 players who made it through to the weekend under-par at the halfway stage, McIlroy is well-positioned to defend his title.