THE Masters
McIlroy stays cool in the breeze but can he rein in leader Reed?
Rory McIlroy shot a 71 yesterday to move to four under and keep his green jacket hopes alive. The Northern Irishman is five shots behind the halfway leader Patrick Reed
Rory McIlroy has done everything he needed to do over 36 compelling holes at the 82nd Masters to set up the exciting possibility of completing the career Grand Slam this weekend.
Now comes the ultimate test of nerve.
Swinging beautifully, and with an assured touch on and around the greens, McIlroy reaped the dividends of all the countless hours he spent accumulating knowledge of Augusta National in the build-up.
The 28-year-old has the opportunity to become only the sixth man to win all four majors.
But can he cope with all that’s on the line, as well as rein in halfway leader Patrick reed? The American ryder Cup hero is five shots ahead of McIlroy after a sensational secondround 66 left him nine under.
Aussie Marc leishman will have his own ambitions after a 67 yesterday left him in second place on his own on seven under, with Swede Henrik Stenson two shots back in third.
What a final 36 holes we have in prospect as this much-anticipated event lives up to all its billing.
reed’s round was a thing of beauty. Three times the 27-year-old rattled in three successive birdies, on holes 1, 2 and 3; 7, 8 and 9; and then 13, 14 and 15. only three bogeys prevented the Texan from something truly special.
on a tricky day filled with capricious breezes, McIlroy was steadiness personified as he followed his opening 69 with a 71 to set the clubhouse lead on four under par.
Fifteen minutes later, Spieth matched his total to set up the grandstand possibility of a duel between the two best players of their generation over the back nine tomorrow. We’d settle for that, wouldn’t we?
‘I’m pleased with how I played and the position I am in,’ said McIlroy. ‘I’m just a little disappointed that I didn’t convert either of two good chances on the last two holes but overall I’ve got to be happy. It’s going to be an exciting weekend.’
Tiger Woods had high hopes of being involved at the business end of this tournament, but he is well out of the running after a second round 75 left him on four over.
Spieth not only knows how to win the Masters, he also knows how to leave the patrons slackjawed with horror. Nothing will beat his collapse two years ago on the final day to set up Danny Willett, of course, but his dreadful front nine still scored high marks for shock value.
So assured on day one with his 66 for a two-stroke lead, the general expectation was he would assume control.
That theory lasted all of 40 minutes — the time it took him to complete the first three holes. Playing this trio in 11 shots is entirely possible, and no more than 12 is the target. Spieth, however, needed no fewer than 16 shots to reach the fourth tee. All that brilliance on the opening day undone by a series of loose strokes that blew this Masters wide open. So began a fearsome Friday that left not just Spieth but many players feeling badly beaten up.
McIlroy began nervously with a drive into the trees and then a woeful three-putt. Any worries that he wouldn’t have the pace of the greens disappeared, however, at the second, where he holed a 25-foot birdie putt.
A lovely chip set up another birdie at the third and then came two hours of hard work, where he buckled down and protected his score.
True, there were bogeys at the two short holes on the front nine but the hole locations were so tough they were not bad scores.
More important were the gutsy par putts he holed at the seventh and tenth, and then came two gains at the 13th and 14th.
By this stage McIlroy was playing so well it was understandable he was disappointed he didn’t profit from great iron shots to the 17th and 18th. But this was still a fine day’s work to set himself up for what lies ahead.
‘I’m having a constant conversation with myself to stay in the present,’ he revealed, and that’s how it must be for two more momentous and potentially historic days.
Two years ago, McIlroy was in a similar position and, playing alongside Spieth, he played tight golf and subsided to a 77. He looks a wholly different player now, but finds a familiar opponent in his way. The sight of the flags blowing lustily on top of the giant scoreboard adjacent to the first fairway foretold the story of a tough second round. locating the correct shelves on greens is hard enough with no wind. When there are gusting breezes, it plays havoc.
That didn’t explain Spieth’s crushing start. His problems began with his first tee shot as he flailed his opening blow into deep trouble on the right. As we’ve seen so often, get out of position at Augusta National and anything can happen. Spieth couldn’t even locate the fairway with his next shot, much less the green and then, when he did come up just short of the putting surface with his third, he needed three more to finish the hole.
In terms of scoring, it got no better at the par-five second, as this time he missed the fairway badly on the right. A six, six start therefore, and neither was the birdie on offer at the short par four third accepted.
The 24-year-old Texan looked as if
he had stemmed the bleeding with three pars at the trio of devilishly difficult holes that followed. But a loose approach to the seventh cost him a shot, and then he threeputted the long eighth. A par at the ninth and he had failed to break 40 for the outward half.
Only someone with Spieth’s inner strength could recover from those nine holes and come home in 34 shots. He might not be in Rory’s league as a ball striker but he is anyone’s equal in terms of character.