Rory McIlroy hails 'amazing day' after making Masters history to take huge step towards retaining Augusta title
Published 11/04/2026 at 10:15 GMT+1
Defending Masters champion Rory McIlroy hailed an "amazing" second day at Augusta National, in which he made competition history to kick things up a notch in Georgia to take a significant lead into the halfway stage. Having defeated Justin Rose in the play-off last year, things are going a little smoother for the 36-year-old as he hunts back-to-back titles at the opening major of the season.
‘Tough test’ – McIlroy gearing up for ‘mental grind’ at firm and fast Augusta
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Rory McIlroy revelled in the joy of an "amazing" second round at the 2026 Masters as the Northern Irishman made tournament history to take a big step towards defending his 2025 crown.
McIlroy defeated Justin Rose in a tense play-off in Augusta last year to complete his career Grand Slam, and 12 months on, he looks set to tread a more comfortable path to glory.
The 36-year-old was in fine form to take a commanding lead into the halfway stage of the 2026 Masters, making history in the process.
With a six-stroke advantage over Patrick Reed and Sam Burns at the halfway stage, McIlroy holds a record-breaking lead after 36 holes ahead of the third round of action in Georgia.
Six birdies in the final seven holes saw the five-time major winner post a 65 and a 12-under par total.
On the second round, McIlroy told RTE: "Amazing day. To back up a 67 [on Thursday], the tied low round of the day, with the low round of the day today. I just got on a run on the back nine and you can do it on this golf course, right?
"You can get momentum, the crowd gets on your side, you start to feel it."
McIlroy also feels the most important factor is to focus on his own game rather than keep watch of the leaderboard.
"The only thing I can do this weekend is focus on myself, go out there and shoot two good rounds, and hopefully that's good enough," he said.
"If someone comes from the pack and shoots two 65s to overtake me, then fair play to them. So, I think a big key for me this weekend is to focus on my own game, not keep looking at the leaderboards.
"There's no point in doing that. I know I have a lead. I don't need to keep checking it all the time and just go out there and keep playing the way I'm playing."
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And the key to McIlroy’s success so far? By focusing on improving his weaknesses rather than looking to "retool" his game.
"You know, I've really over the past five or six years, I've tried to not retool my game, but I've tried to work on the things that maybe weren't as strong," McIlroy added.
"I felt like I could get better, especially when golf courses get firm and they get like this and they provide this sort of test. It's not just hitting drives as far as possible.
"You have to have a little bit of finesse. You have to have a little bit of touch.
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"I've definitely shown that over the first two days and I'm going to have to continue to show that over the next two days as well.
"I've got my man Harry [Diamond, his caddie] beside me, and we're having fun out there. We definitely had fun those last few holes. I'm speaking for him now, but we're both very excited for the opportunity going into the weekend."
American pair Burns and 2018 champion Reed are McIlroy’s closest competitors ahead of the third round of play.
However, the duo will need to exceed expectations and hope for a McIlroy slip-up in order to pip the 2025 winner to the green jacket this weekend.
Watch and stream the 2026 LIV Golf season live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
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