Rory McIlroy exploded on the back nine to set a record-breaking pace at The Masters.
His six-stroke lead through 36 holes is the biggest in the tournament’s history. He shot a second round 65 to put one arm through his second Green Jacket. But this performance was far from perfect.
This wasn’t a start-to-finish demolition job from McIlroy. He was tied for the lead with Patrick Reed on the back nine before going on an historic run in the closing holes. He was patient, waited for his moment, then grabbed the golf course by the horns.
And shockingly, despite being 12-under through two days, he ranks second-to-last in one shocking statistical category.
Rory McIlroy second-last in driving accuracy despite leading The Masters
McIlroy has been far from steady off the tee this week despite holding a significant lead, and he ranks second-to-last in the entire field at The Masters despite possessing a six-stroke lead.
He has continually found himself in the pinestraw, but has pulled rabbits out of hats on every occasion to get himself out of trouble.
Even more incredibly, McIlroy is yet to hit a fairway on a par five this week, but has managed to record seven birdies and one par on those eight holes going into the weekend. His patience and ability to hit the right shot out of the trees has been the standout part of his play so far.
It’s hard to imagine McIlroy continues to drive it so poorly over the weekend, so when he finally hits a fairway on a par five, watch out. This lead could well grow, rather than shrink.
Where Rory McIlroy has made up for poor driving at The Masters
While McIlroy has not been accurate off the tee so far, he has been exceptional in nearly every other department. He led the field in his play around the green with 3.1 strokes gained, capped off by his electric chip-in on 17.
Through two rounds, McIlroy leads the field from tee to green, gaining over five strokes, and that’s the key to winning at Augusta. You must take advantage of opportunities on the green, but what’s more important is recovering well from missed greens.
McIlroy said that his course management, even while birdieing six of the last seven holes, is what was key to his success. He was in the trees on 17 before punching out left of the green, then made an emphatic chip-in.
He explained his strategy: “I wanted to get it at least pin — you know, level with the bunker, if not beyond the bunker, because I knew that was going to be a better angle for the chip shot. Harry and I talked about that.
Yeah, that’s just the benefit of having a lot of experience around here is knowing, even if you’re right at that green, whether you’re front right, pin high right, back right, what the different shots are going to be like. Laid it up in a good spot and hit a good chip. Bonus that it went in.”
This meticulous dissection of Augusta National is not something we have come to attribute to McIlroy, but a different player has turned up to this year’s Masters, and one that looks to be calmly waltzing to the Green Jacket.
