The Masters: Momentum with Rory McIlroy heading into moving day at Augusta
No-one shot lower than the world No2 on Friday at Augusta, with his bogey-free six-under-par 66 by far the stand-out performance of day two.
Only current leader Justin Rose (-8) has bettered that score all week, with the Englishman’s 65 on Thursday the main reason why he remains top of the leaderboard heading into Saturday.
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Hide AdBut the brakes were applied to his latest Masters bid as a second-round 71 allowed the chasing pack to catch-up - including McIlroy, who now finds himself tailgating his Ryder Cup team-mate alongside Bryson DeChambeau (-7), Corey Conners (-6), Shane Lowery, Matt McCarty, Tyrrell Hatton and reigning champion Scottie Scheffler (all -5).
The speed at which McIlroy turned his Masters fortunes around will be discerning for Rose & Co. Propelling himself from tied for 27 on level par to tied third at minus six will not only have raised the heat on his fellow competitors, it will have had the local sheriff’s department checking their speedometers for possible defects.
Not that such a move was unexpected from the four-time major winner, who should probably have more such titles in his bag at the age of 35. After all, McIlroy was in commanding form on day one at Augusta National up until a bogey at 15 saw his round unravel before him.
The question was whether he could recover from such a disastrous finish to day one, with many believing scar tissue from such a dramatic downfall is what ultimately holds the Holywood man back from securing his maiden green jacket.
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Hide AdMcIlroy responded to those external doubts in majestic fashion, though, as he posted four birdies and an eagle to get himself right back in the mix at the top of the leaderboard. Simply put, he gatecrashed the party that was developing without him at breakneck speed that his fellow competitors might now have whiplash the number of times they were forced to look over their shoulders.
Rasmus Hojgaard (67), DeChambeau, Matt McCarty, Shane Lowery (all 68) and Viktor Hovland (69) were others who made up ground on Rose to set up a fascinating day of action on Saturday. But it was nothing compared to the velocity of McIlroy’s arrival.
The momentum will clearly be with the Ulsterman as he tees off alongside Corey Conners at 7.30pm BST in the penultimate group of the day.
The aim will be to lead from the front come the end of moving day - something that will prove hugely popular among the Augusta patrons, who are once firmly rooting for McIlroy.
Their support will also carry him forward. Although, staying in his lane and keeping it steady might not be a bad thing as the pressure intensifies.
Once again, Rory, it’s over to you!
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