AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy is making the Masters look easy. He fired off six birdies in his final seven holes Friday, posting a 7-under 65 that left the field wondering if they’re playing for second place.
McIlroy’s closing flurry gave him a six-shot advantage at 12-under 132 — the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history.
“I knew I had some chances coming in when I was standing on the 12th tee, but I didn’t think I’d birdie six of the last seven,” he said. “It just shows what you can do around here.”
He did it in spectacular fashion. McIlroy twice made birdie on par 5s after laying up from the trees. He converted short putts on par 3s. And if that wasn’t enough, he chipped in from 30 yards up a slope so steep he couldn’t even see the hole.
The final hour started as a tight contest with McIlroy tied with Patrick Reed and a dozen players bunched together. It ended looking like a victory lap.
His tee shot over Rae’s Creek on the dangerous 12th landed 7 feet behind the flag. After laying up from the trees on both par 5s, he still managed to convert birdies. He took advantage of the lower pin at the par-3 16th for what amounted to a tap-in.
Then came the moment that sent the gallery into a frenzy — a chip-in from 30 yards on 17. McIlroy knew it was good because “I could see everyone in the grandstand start to stand up.”
He wasn’t done. One more perfect approach rolled down the slope to 6 feet on 18 for a final birdie.
The previous record for largest 36-hole lead at Augusta was five shots, held by six players including Scottie Scheffler in 2022. The first was Harry “Lighthorse” Cooper in 1936 — notably, the only player in that position who didn’t win.
Looking for back-to-back
If McIlroy holds on, he’d join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods as the only players to win consecutive Masters.
He’s been here before, though. McIlroy had a two-shot lead after 36 holes in 2011 and stretched it to four shots going into Sunday before his famous final-round 80. That began years of Masters heartache that lasted until last year’s playoff victory.
“I know what can happen around here, good and bad,” McIlroy said with a smile. “You don’t have to remind me not to get ahead of myself. There’s a long way to go. I got off to an amazing start.”
Augusta National was more forgiving Friday — warmer, brighter, drier. The wind wasn’t as strong, the gusts didn’t swirl as much, and more generous pin positions helped scores drop nearly two shots lower than Thursday.
That didn’t help everyone. Bryson DeChambeau fought back from an opening 76 and was one shot below the cut line when disaster struck at 18. It took him two shots to escape a greenside bunker, with his second rolling down the false front. His triple bogey meant a missed cut.
Reed was bogey-free until failing to save par on 18. That cost him a spot in Saturday’s final group with McIlroy. They were paired in the last group in 2018, with seemingly all of Augusta on McIlroy’s side, only for Reed to win handily.
Sam Burns birdied his last two holes to salvage a 71 and will play alongside McIlroy in the final pairing.
Justin Rose, who lost to McIlroy in last year’s playoff, struggled with his putter but still shot 69. He’s part of the group at 5-under 139 — now seven shots behind — along with Shane Lowry (69) and Tommy Fleetwood, who had two eagles in his 68.
Preparation pays off
McIlroy took three weeks off before the Masters — no one since Adam Scott in 2013 has won here coming off a break that long — and feels it worked to his advantage.
He made multiple trips to Augusta — sometimes just day trips, getting home for dinner — and focused primarily on his short game, which has been superb.
“I felt like I was part of the furniture,” McIlroy said of his visits.
He’s been in this position before. At the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional, just months after his Masters collapse, McIlroy led by six shots halfway through and went on to win by eight. He learned that week to push forward rather than protect.
“Look, I’ve built up a nice cushion at this point,” McIlroy said. “I guess my mindset is just trying to keep playing well and keeping my foot on the gas.”
Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player who has won two of the last four Masters, now sits 12 shots behind. He twice found water on par 5s on the back nine, making bogey on both, and shot 74 for his first over-par round at the Masters in three years.
Cameron Young and U.S. Amateur champion Mason Howell had front-row seats to McIlroy’s birdie barrage.
“You’ve got to stay in your own lane, but it’s hard not to watch that,” Howell said after missing the cut. “That chip-in on 17 was unreal. That was one of the coolest things I’ve seen in sports, and I got to witness it in person. So that was awesome.”
