Augusta, GA …
Rory McIlroy finds himself again firmly holding the final piece of his Grand Slam jigsaw puzzle and confident of finally slipping into the Masters green jacket.
Despite a poor closing hole bogey but only after hitting the flag stick with his approach, McIlroy was lying just five shots from the lead with 36-holes to play at Augusta National.
The four-time Major winner bravely battled the bright but windy conditions in a spirited showing to stay in sight of the clubhouse leading duo of Sergio Garcia (69) and American Charley Hoffman (75) at just four under par.
And having been in this Masters position in his last six Augusta appearances, including leading going into the last day in 2011, the World No. 2 is hopeful of joining golfing immortality.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland lines up a putt on the 15th hole during the second round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, April 7, 2017.
“Even just being in position going into Sunday, I know more than most what can happen on Sundays around here, good and bad,” he said.
“I shot 66 in the last round and I shot 80.
“So, it’s just all about getting yourself in position, as you said, but I feel like I need something in the 60s tomorrow at least to get myself in there.
“But I’m not disappointed, I’m disappointed by what happened at the last, but I’m in a decent position going into the weekend.”
Rory McIlroy day two 2017 Masters
However, it was despair yet again at the first hole for McIlroy on this time sending his drive veer well left through the trees and coming to rest on the left side of the second fairway from where he managed to clear the 70-foot high pines on route to a five.
It was the second day in a row he bogeyed the first to ensure he’s now 11-over in 32 rounds playing the first at Augusta.
McIlroy grabbed a first birdie at the par five second landing his second to 24-feet and two-putting for a birdie ’4 ’.
He then birdied the second of the par 5s before the highlight shot of his round, a birdie at the par three, sixth hole where his tee shot landed pin-high but rolled off the green from where McIlroy showed his brilliance in chipping-in from 18 yard for ‘2’.
But he dropped a third shot at the ninth, after a wild drive ninth into trees, to fall back to level par ahead falling foul of the famed par three, 12th hole landing five yard behind the green but then after chipping to 10-feet he sent his third three-foot past.
The bogey at 12, when Jordan Spieth had imploded a year earlier, handed McIlroy the horrible stats of being 29-over par for holes 10, 11 and 12.
McIlroy picked-up a fourth birdie of the day at the par four 17th in sending his 146-yard second shot to 12-foot behind the flag and rolling in the putt.
“It was another day where you really had to battle and try and make a lot of pars but also trying and kick off the odd birdie,” he said.
“I sort of mixed in a few bogeys with a few birdies out there though that the shot, and what looked like it would be a tap-in birdie so make to take ‘5’ was not a good way to finish.
“What I now need to do is go out and birdie the first tomorrow and it will all be forgotten.”
