Rory McIlroy sets Masters record with six-stroke lead after 36 holes

[p]Defying fast and firm conditions at Augusta National, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcilroy-rory/djwanksN/"]McIlroy[/a] fired a seven-under-par 65 in the second round to stand on 12-under-par 132 at the midpoint of the year's first major.[/p][p]World number two McIlroy's closing run after sinking a six-foot birdie putt at the 18th to break the old 36-hole record lead of five shots.[/p][embed guid="53b28ca7-cab9-433c-900a-24b3272036ca" url="https://x.com/TheMasters/status/2042739241185083594?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"Just an amazing end to the round,"[/b] McIlroy said.[b] "When I was standing on the 12th tee, I didn't imagine I would be six ahead going into the weekend."[/b][/p][p]McIlroy, trying to become only the fourth player to capture back-to-back green jackets, sank seven-foot birdie putts at the par-three 12th and par-five 13th holes to seize the lead.[/p][p]He added another from 10 feet at the par-five 15th and sank a three-foot birdie putt at the par-three 16th.[/p][p]Then came the pitch-in stunner at 17, followed by the clutch putt for his fourth straight birdie at Masters history.[/p][embed guid="4bd68fb4-bf77-4869-af18-28e09ed5a2d5" url="https://x.com/TheMasters/status/2042733950834016735?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"This golf course, you can get on runs,"[/b] McIlroy said. [b]"And for me, it's all about staying patient until I feel good enough that I can get on them."[/b][/p][p]Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, missed a six-foot putt and made bogey at 18 to shoot 69 and share a distant second with fellow American Sam Burns on 138.[/p][p]England's Justin Rose, a three-time Masters runner-up, and compatriot Tommy Fleetwood, seeking his first major title, shared fourth on 139 with Ireland's Shane Lowry, the 2019 British Open winner.[/p]