McIlroy Vows to Maintain Aggressive Approach with Historic Masters Lead

Rory McIlroy is determined to maintain his attacking style of play as he attempts to defend his title at The Masters, having established a record lead at the halfway stage. His impressive round of 65 on Friday has given him a six-shot advantage over his nearest rivals, Sam Burns and Patrick Reed. This comes a year after McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam at Augusta National, ending an 11-year wait for his fifth major title. When asked what advice he would give himself based on his experience of winning the 2011 US Open, McIlroy said, 'Don't protect it, just go out and play freely, keeping swinging.' He emphasized the importance of not becoming overly cautious and instead focusing on making birdies and staying committed to his game plan. McIlroy's strategy is to keep his foot on the gas and continue playing well, having built a significant cushion. His performance has been marked by efficiency, including recovering from trouble on several occasions over the first two rounds. He highlighted the example of his play on the par fives on Friday, where he made birdies at three out of four holes despite missing the fairway with his tee shots. McIlroy believes that his short game and wedge play have been key to his success, and he hopes that his playing partner, Mason Howell, has learned from his approach. Having previously struggled with the pressure of expectation at Augusta, McIlroy appears more relaxed this year, attributing this to the feeling that he is 'playing with the house's money' after finally winning the tournament last year.