Augusta, Georgia:
Rory McIlroy may be appearing carefree as he continues his journey towards Masters immortality, but the defending champion has revealed that his commanding 36-hole lead was the result of three weeks of intense reconnaissance at Augusta National.
Equipped with a private jet, McIlroy made the 80-minute flight from his South Florida base to Augusta National at least once a week for the past three weeks. This allowed him to thoroughly study and plan his approach to the iconic course.
McIlroy shared insights into his routine, saying, “I did a couple of days where I dropped [daughter] Poppy to school [in Jupiter, Florida], flew up here, played, landed back home and had dinner with her.” He emphasized the importance of spending more time on the course, stating, “The more time I could spend up here, the better.”
Over the last three weeks, McIlroy has spent considerable time practicing, chipping, putting, and playing with one ball to achieve low scores and navigate challenging situations. “I think just spending so much time up here has been a big part of it,” he said.
His efforts have clearly paid off, as the April major is shaping up to be a dominant performance. McIlroy’s seven-under-par 65 on day two was the lowest round ever shot by a defending Masters champion in the event’s 90-year history.
At 12 under par, McIlroy holds a six-shot lead over Sam Burns (71) and 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed (69). This is the largest 36-hole advantage in Masters history. A shot behind Reed at five under were major winners Justin Rose (69), the Augusta runner-up last year, and Shane Lowry (69), as well as Tommy Fleetwood (68). Jason Day (71) was the best of the Australians at four under.
McIlroy’s playoff victory at Augusta last year ended a 17-year Masters drought and completed golf’s career grand slam. With the pressure lifted, the 36-year-old has approached the Masters with the same confidence he displayed during his eight-shot wins at the 2011 US Open and 2012 PGA Championship.
His performance on day two was particularly impressive, with six birdies over the final seven holes, including four consecutive to close the round. This has left other competitors in awe.
“I definitely found a sense of flow those last few holes,” McIlroy said. “The only way I can describe it is everything that you see or any situation that you come across, you can find a positive in it.”
McIlroy is determined to maintain his momentum as he aims to become just the fourth golfer to win consecutive Masters titles after Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods.
“Don’t protect [the lead],” world No.2 McIlroy said when asked what he learned from his previous eight-shot major wins. “Go out and play freely, keep swinging. That was a big part of the lesson between my 2011 Masters [final-round choke] to the 2011 US Open [my maiden major win] was don’t get protective. Go out there and keep playing, keep trying to make birdies, stay as trusting and as committed as possible.”
Meanwhile, Queenslander Jason Day, who has five top 10 finishes at the Masters, including a 2011 runner-up, was one shot off the lead at one stage before McIlroy pulled away late on Friday afternoon.
At eight shots back, Day is likely too far behind to win a second career major. However, he believes the lack of attention could work in his favor, especially if the Georgia sun continues to bake the fairways into a firm and fast state.
“Not many people are talking about me, which is good, and I’m going to fly under the radar and do my thing,” Day said.
Adam Scott (74), the 2013 Masters champion, was the only other Australian among the four in the field to make the cut. He finished at two over.
High-profile exits included 2022 British Open winner Cameron Smith (seven over) and Australia’s top-ranked male, Min Woo Lee (11 over). Smith’s early exit marked his sixth consecutive major finish without a win since the 2024 British Open.
Lee had three top 10s on the PGA Tour coming into the Masters.
“Yeah, pretty disappointed; making two birdies out [in two days] here is … not going cut it,” Lee said, having also made nine bogeys and two double bogeys.
