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It took Rory McIlroy 17 attempts to win his first green jacket, finally breaking through last year. He wasted no time in trying to win his second Masters title.
McIlroy, 36, shot a season-low 65 on Friday to move to 12 under and take a six-shot lead on Saturday. His six-shot lead is the largest second-round lead in Masters history.
McIlroy is only the fourth defending champion to hold the 36-hole lead in the year following his victory. Arnold Palmer has done it three times (1959, 1961, 1965), while Ian Woosnam (1992) and Jordan Spieth (2016) have done it once.
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Rory McIlroy salutes after his putt on the 13th hole during the second round of the Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 10, 2026. (Matt Slocum/AP Photo)
McIlroy is aiming to become the fourth player to win the Masters two years in a row. Jack Nicklaus did it in 1965-66, Nick Faldo in 1989-90 and Tiger Woods in 2001-02.
The world number 2 finished his second round by birdieing six of his last seven holes. Throughout the tournament, McIlroy holed 18 holes, made 15 birdies and recorded just three bogeys.
McIlroy said he was going to try to keep his foot on the gas.
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates after a putt on the 16th hole during the second round of the Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 10, 2026. (Ashley Landis/AP Photo)
“Look, I’ve built up a nice cushion at this point,” McIlroy said. “I guess my mindset is just to try to keep playing well and keep my foot on the gas.”
Sam Burns and Patrick Reed are tied for second, both at 6 under. Justin Rose, who McIlroy beat in a thrilling playoff last year to win the Masters, is tied for fourth place at 5 under.
Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood are also at 5 under.
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Rory McIlroy watches his tee shot on the 12th hole during the second round of the Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 10, 2026. (Eric Gay/AP Photo)
McIlroy is part of the final pairing, alongside Burns, and will start at 2:50 p.m. ET on Saturday. To keep his mind off golf, he will watch tennis before his tee time.
“There’s actually two really good semi-finals in Monte Carlo in tennis. So I’ll watch that,” McIlroy said. “We watched tennis early in the morning.”
