McIlroy reveals secret behind his stunning start to US Masters defence

Augusta, Georgia: A carefree Rory McIlroy may be making light work of his march towards Masters immortality, but the defending champion revealed his runaway 36-hole lead was built during three weeks’ worth of reconnaissance missions to Augusta National.

Armed with a private jet, McIlroy flew from his South Florida base to Augusta National – about an 80-minute flight – at least once a week for the past three weeks to meticulously plot his ambush of the hallowed turf.

“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,” McIlroy said. “I felt the more time I could spend up here, the better.

“I’ve been on this golf course so much the last three weeks, and that’s been a combination of practice and chipping and putting, and playing one ball and shooting scores and ending up in weird places that you maybe never find yourself and just trying to figure it out. I think just spending so much time up here has been a big part of it.”

Boy is it paying off, as the April major turns into the two closing rounds. The Northern Irishman’s seven-under-par 65 on day two was the lowest round ever shot by a defending Masters champion in its 90-year history.

At 12 under, McIlroy’s six-shot lead over Sam Burns (71) and 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed (69) is the largest 36-hole advantage in Masters history. A shot back of 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 hoodoo and completed golf’s career grand slam. With an enormous weight off his shoulders, the 36-year-old has wielded the club at the Masters as carefree as he has since earning eight-shot wins at the 2011 US Open and 2012 PGA Championship.

Look no further than his six birdies over the final seven holes on day two at Augusta, including four consecutive to close the round. It is alarming for the other 53 players who made the cut.

“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.”

Which is why McIlroy vows to keep his foot on the gas as he seeks to become just the fourth golfer to win consecutive Masters after Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods.

“Don’t protect [the lead],” world No.2 McIlroy said when asked what he learned from dual eight-shot major wins. “Go out and play freely, keep swinging. That was a big part of the lesson between [his] 2011 Masters [final-round choke] to the 2011 US Open [his 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 Day, an owner of five top 10s at the Masters including a 2011 runner-up, was one shot off the lead at one stage before McIlroy left the field behind late on Friday afternoon.

At eight shots back, former world No.1 Day is likely too far off to win a second career major but said the lack of attention could be helpful. Especially if the glaring Georgia sun continues to bake Augusta’s 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 was two over.

High-profile exits came via 2022 British Open winner Cameron Smith (seven over) and Australia’s top-ranked male, the otherwise in-form Min Woo Lee (11 over). Smith’s early exit was his sixth in a row at the majors 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.

News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.