Rory McIlroy shot a 7-under 65 on Friday at Augusta National and turned the Masters into a runaway, taking a six-shot lead after 36 holes. His 12-under 132 total left Patrick Reed and Sam Burns six shots back and gave McIlroy the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history.
McIlroy finished with six birdies over his final seven holes, a burst that made the margin look even more severe than the scorecard showed. Reed shot 69 and Burns 71 in the second round.
The previous Masters record for the biggest 36-hole lead was five shots, a mark shared by Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Raymond Floyd, Jack Nicklaus, Herman Keiser and Harry “Lighthorse” Cooper. McIlroy’s six-shot advantage is also the third-largest 36-hole lead in major championship history, behind only a 9-shot lead and a 7-shot lead.
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That matters because McIlroy has been here before. He had a two-shot lead after 36 holes at the Masters in 2011 and later shot an 80 in the final round, a collapse that lingered for years before he finally won at Augusta National in a playoff a year ago after 17 years of trying.
This time, the conditions helped him pull away. Augusta was warmer, brighter and drier on Friday, with weaker wind and more generous pin positions than Thursday, and scoring improved across the board. McIlroy said he knew he had chances coming in when he was standing on the 12th tee, but he did not think he would birdie six of the last seven holes. He said it showed what can happen around there, good and bad, and added that nobody needed to remind him not to get ahead of himself because there is a long way to go, even after such an amazing start.
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If McIlroy finishes the job, he will become only the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters. For one Friday afternoon at least, the race was no longer about who might chase him. It was about whether anyone could find enough golf to make the weekend matter.
