McIlroy Makes Historic Charge at The Masters

Rory McIlroy has taken a significant step towards defending his title at The Masters, achieving a historic six-shot lead heading into the weekend at Augusta National. Following his career Grand Slam victory over Justin Rose last year, McIlroy continued his pursuit of major success with an impressive round-of-the-day 65 on Friday afternoon. He broke the record for the lowest 36-hole score by a defending champion, moving to 12 under and establishing the largest halfway lead in the tournament's history. As a result, the 36-year-old is now the firm favorite to join 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, leaving him ahead of Sam Burns and former Masters winner Patrick Reed, while Justin Rose and Shane Lowry shared fourth place with Tommy Fleetwood after posting second-round 69s. The defending champion noted that the course allows players to build momentum, stating, 'This course enables you to get on runs... I've always felt like when you're feeling it around here, you can get momentum, and the crowd gets on your side, and you can just keep it rolling.' Tyrrell Hatton moved into a tie for seventh place with a six-under 66, while Bryson DeChambeau, who played in the final group last year, 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 gained control of the tournament, firing three consecutive birdies from the second hole. After briefly losing his solo 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 fired a stunning tee shot to kick-in range at the par-three 16th to move four clear of the pack. McIlroy recovered from an errant drive at the 17th, finishing just short of the green, where a sensational 30-yard chip-in pulled him further ahead. He closed with an eight-foot birdie, signing off a memorable Friday in style. The lead matches the same 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 buffer of six or more shots has gone on to win. McIlroy expressed his desire to defend his title, stating, 'I so desperately wanted to win here just so I could come back each and every 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.' Only 19 of the 54 players who made it through to the weekend are under-par at the halfway stage, with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler on level-par and 12 off the pace after a two-over 74.