Magical 90 minutes tightens McIlroy's grip on Masters
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The Masters, round two leaderboard
-12 R McIlroy (NI); -6 S Burns (US), P Reed (US); -5 J Rose (Eng), S Lowry (Ire), T Fleetwood
Selected: -4 T Hatton (Eng); -3 B Koepka (US); -2 X Schauffele (US); -1 M Fitzpatrick (Eng); Level S Scheffler (US), L Aberg (Swe); +4 J Rahm (Spa)
When Rory McIlroy chatted to the great Jack Nicklaus for advice about the best way to defend his Masters title, he was given a succinct piece of advice.
"He told me 'no double bogeys'," laughed McIlroy.
An obvious tip maybe, but it is easier said than done at Augusta National. Just ask the 36-year-old from Northern Ireland, who has opened up a record six-shot lead at the halfway stage thanks to a stunning finish to Friday's second round.
On his way to golfing utopia last year, McIlroy carded four double bogeys over the week - a tally which nobody had ever recorded and still managed to don the Green Jacket.
So far, with McIlroy holding a commanding advantage in his pursuit of a rare back-to-back Masters win, there haven't been any.
Instead of costly doubles threatening to derail his progress, there was a flurry of birdies late in a sensational second round which helped McIlroy accelerate away from the chasing pack.
He converted six in the final seven holes of his second round - including a glorious chip in from 30 yards on the 17th - to finish 12 under following a spell which ranks among the finest of his career.
The run enabled the five-time major champion to set a record 36-hole lead going into the weekend, with American pair Sam Burns and Patrick Reed closest behind on six under.
"I've always loved the tournament and loved this golf course, even when I felt it didn't love me back," said McIlroy, who is bidding to follow Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods as only the fourth player to win successive titles.
"Now when I miss fairways it's fine, when I miss greens it's fine. I feel like I'm playing with the house's money."
McIlroy has rarely done anything conventionally in a career packed with as many bitter lows as there have been exhilarating highs.
This week, his progress has been uncharacteristically serene as he swung what had been a wide open tournament heavily into his favour.
With 36 holes still to play at a fickle Augusta which has the capacity to bite back, it is far from game over. A host of big names behind McIlroy are ready to pounce on any slips which he may make over the weekend.
But, judging by the evidence of the first two days, it does not feel like there will be any blips.
The relaxation which McIlroy has developed since finally becoming the sixth man to complete the career Grand Slam of winning all four majors has allowed him to play with freedom around Augusta National.
"I haven't panicked when I've hit it off line and into trees, I've layed up and relied on wedges and those scoring clubs," he told Sky Sports.
"This course enables you to get on runs, although I certainly didn't imagine birdieing six of the last seven.
"I've always felt when you're feeling it around here you can get momentum, the crowd gets on your side and you keep it rolling."
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Patience the key for majestic McIlroy - but others lie in wait
It seems bizarre to say now given his dominant position, but there was a spell on Friday where you felt McIlroy was still not playing close to his best.
When McIlroy bogeyed the 10th, he dropped back alongside 2018 champion Reed on six under and his general untidiness put his place at the top of the leaderboard under pressure.
Some drives were being sprayed, some approaches were not precise.
At the end of his round, the statistics showed McIlroy ranked 90th in the 91-man field for accuracy off the tee.
Ultimately, it didn't matter. His exceptional short game held his round together and when things did click into place on the tees and fairways, he motored through the final seven holes in fabulous fashion.
After winning last year, there is no longer a melodrama every time he makes a bad shot. McIlroy has learned how to be patient around Augusta.
That seems to spell bad news for the rest of a leaderboard stacked with Green Jacket wearers, major title holders and Ryder Cup stars.
Staying even-tempered at the most famously punishing golf course in the world is a trait which two of the big names hoping to unseat McIlroy also recognise is necessary to succeed there.
Three-time runner-up Justin Rose, who is jjoint fourth, is targeting his own redemptive win after losing to McIlroy in last year's sudden-death play-off and credits his own patience for his back-nine climb up the leaderboard.
"Early on things were tough out there. But I settled down and built the round back up," said Rose, who is seven behind McIlroy after a three-under 69 on Friday.
"It's a continuation of being on the leaderboard from last year and keeping the dream alive. I need to keep it as free as I can."
Ireland's Shane Lowry had a run of 14 successive pars before two birdies in the final three holes moved him alongside English pair - and victorious Ryder Cup team-mates - Rose and Tommy Fleetwood on five under par.
"I was hitting good shots and just wasn't converting but I was patient out there," said Lowry, whose sole major win came at the 2023 Open.
But there is another contender, also part of that European band of brothers bonded by Bethpage, who hopes a lack of patience will not stop him landing the Green Jacket.
Tyrrell Hatton knocked in seven birdies on the way to a six-under par 66, seemingly carding the round of the day only to be bettered by McIlroy.
"I definitely don't stay calmer or more patient this week. If anything, I am probably more on edge," said the 34-year-old Englishman who ended the day on four under.
"I will just take each shot as it comes and see what we end up with."
Is Hatton starting to fall in love with Augusta?
Discussion had started to build once again about why the big-name LIV golfers were continuing to struggle at the majors as Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau toiled at the Masters.
The conversation was cut short when Hatton, who continues to play on the breakaway Saudi-backed tour, started making eyes at Augusta National.
Up to this point he had formed an uneasy relationship with the Masters, regularly squabbling with the unrelenting undulations of the famed course.
Hatton had unsuccessfully tried to befriend the old place on nine previous visits and, after starting with a two-over par 74 on Thursday, finally managed to ingratiate himself on Friday.
After seven birdies in 16 holes, Hatton had the course record of 63 - set in 1986 by Nick Price and matched in 1996 by Greg Norman - in his sights, but ultimately had to make do with a 66 which featured seven birdies.
Hatton was only the third player in the past 30 years to hit all 18 greens in regulation, demonstrating how he is continuing to rise to the challenge which Augusta presents him.
But, after a bogey on the last stopped him moving alongside then-clubhouse leader Rose, he still was not completely happy.
"I've clearly not learned enough seeing as I three-putted the last," he told Sky Sports.
DeChambeau, one of the fancied picks before the tournament, suffered the ignominy of missing the cut when a disastrous finish pushed him to six over.
With the cut line at four over, the 32-year-old American - who finished tied fifth last year - found the greenside bunker on the 18th and took two swipes at getting out on his way to a triple-bogey seven.
Spain's Rahm, 31, narrowly avoided the same fate of missing the weekend thanks to a birdie on 16, which moved him to safety at four over.
