Record-breaking McIlroy plans to keep foot on the gas
Defending champion Rory McIlroy says he plans to keep his "foot on the gas" after building a record six-shot halfway lead with a devastating second-round 65 at the Masters. Sharing the overnight lead with Sam Burns, Northern Ireland's McIlroy made a hat-trick of birdies from the second hole to open up a three-shot advantage before bogeys at the fifth and 10th gave the chasing pack renewed hope. But the world number two surged clear of the field down Augusta National's iconic closing stretch.
Birdies on six of his last seven holes, including a sensational chip-in on the 17th, took him to 12 under par. The seven under par round opened a huge lead over Americans Burns and Patrick Reed, with Ryder Cup team-mates Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry a shot further back. "I've built up a nice cushion at this point.
I guess my mindset is just trying to keep playing well and keeping my foot on the gas," said the 36-year-old, who will head out alongside Burns in the final pairing at 19:50 BST on Saturday. "There are so many different ways to skin a cat. I've shot 12 under par for the first two rounds here.
I've played well, I've hit good shots, but it hasn't all been amazing. "I've relied on my short game when I've needed it, and I've certainly hit enough good wedges into those par fives to build the score that I have. " Magical 90 minutes tightens McIlroy's grip on the Masters Relive record-setting McIlroy's romp to move six clear halfway through Masters McIlroy, who is hoping to become just the fourth player after Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods to win back-to-back Masters titles has held a six-shot lead at this point in a major before.
He went on to win the 2011 US Open by eight shots - claiming the first of his five majors - and also spreadeagled the field with an eight-shot victory at the 2012 US PGA Championship. And he plans to maintain an aggressive approach around Augusta National over the weekend as he bids to match Faldo, Phil Mickelson and Lee Trevino's haul of six majors. "Don't protect it.