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AUGUSTA, Ga. — It’s Rory McIlroy’s world. We’re just living in it …

'Wily old veteran'

Look out, world: Rory McIlroy has figured this thing out.

Sixteen years of scar tissue got put to rest last year en route to McIlroy’s triumphant win. After a whirlwind close to his second round that gave him a record-breaking, six-shot cushion heading into the weekend, it’s doubtful he’ll have to wait another 16 years for green jacket No. 2. In fact, some in the field are wondering if he’ll “never lose this thing again.”

Standing at 6 under with eight holes to go and tied for the lead, McIlroy told reporters after his second round that he was trying to get to 10 under. Instead, he got to 12 under, with birdies on each of his final four holes, including a chip-in on No. 17 and an emphatic close on No. 18 that gave him the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history.

McIlroy can do no wrong at this point, but there’s one notable bright spot: his par-5 performance, aided in part by an all-gas, no-brakes philosophy off the tee. The Ulsterman is letting it rip on Augusta National’s longest holes, and while he’s had to do a bit of scrambling from there, he has posted an impressive stat line through two rounds: eight par 5s encountered, seven birdies made.

The key to McIlroy’s strategic success around arguably the most strategic golf course in the world? Experience.

“Becoming a wily old veteran,” McIlroy said. “There’s so many different ways to skin a cat. I’ve shot 12-under par for the first two rounds here. I’ve played well, I’ve hit good shots, but it hasn’t all been amazing. I’ve relied on my short game when I’ve needed it, and I’ve certainly hit enough good wedges into those par 5s to build the score that I have.”

Last year, a watery wedge into the par-5 13th was nearly his undoing in the final round. But he’s put any lingering ghosts to rest around this place, nimbly scrambling from the pine straw for birdies on Nos. 13 and 15 Friday en route to a 65.

No one knows better than McIlroy how fast a lead can disappear at Augusta National. But at this point, it feels like he’s going to have to come back down to the field for anyone to have a chance to interrupt his quest to become just the fourth back-to-back champion in Masters history and the first since Tiger Woods in 2001-02.

This tournament isn’t over, but let’s put it this way: Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley would be wise to start practicing his form for Sunday’s green jacket ceremony, given that the defending champ might need someone to put the green jacket back on his shoulders.

Playing through

• ↪️ Round 2 review: Full breakdown of a wild Friday at Augusta National ...
• ⛔ Cut line casualties: J.J. Spaun, Bryson DeChambeau among those missing the weekend ...
• 🕰️ Embracing Father Time: Justin Rose undaunted by near misses at the Masters ...
• ⏱️ Round 3 tee times: See who’s paired up for Moving Day at Augusta

Can he win this thing?

I found myself just below the branches of Augusta National’s famed oak tree Friday morning as Jordan Spieth began his second round.

In front of me were two patrons caught up in conversation as the 2015 champion strode from the nearby putting green to the opening tee box.

“So,” one friend said softly to the other, “you think he can come back and win this thing?”

Few players turn heads around this place quite like Spieth. A runner-up in his debut and a winner in his second start, there’s some magical pixie dust that seems to transform his game when he sets foot on property. Patrons expect him to pull off some impossible feats because, well, he has with some frequency around this place.

His second round began with promise as he made an improbable birdie from the sand on No. 1, but that proved to be his only circle on the scorecard. Short misses for birdie on Nos. 2 and 3 followed, and a closing bogey left him scratching his head. Spieth’s round was dominated by missed opportunities on the greens, and while he comfortably made the cut after rounds of 72-73, his chances to win this week are gone.

It’s hard to believe that 10 years have passed since Spieth, both literally and figuratively, handed the green jacket to Danny Willett. His 2015 triumph, when he cruised to his first major as a fresh-faced 21-year-old, drew quick comparisons to Tiger Woods, who had four Masters titles at the time and then added a fifth. But as the years march on, the more apt comparison may be Raymond Floyd.

Floyd won here 50 years ago in an eight-shot romp, breaking Masters scoring records in the process, and while he had some subsequent close calls – notably a playoff loss to Nick Faldo in 1990 – he never won another Masters among his four major titles.

Historically speaking, Spieth’s window to add another green jacket is narrowing. The only players who have ever gone more than 11 years between Masters wins were Gary Player (13 years between his wins in 1961 and 1974) and Tiger Woods (14 years between his wins in 2005 and 2019).

Still a couple of months shy of his 33rd birthday, Spieth likely has another decade or more of realistic chances to win here – just look at what Justin Rose is doing this week at age 45. But with each passing year, we inch closer to a concept that would have seemed improbable a decade ago: Jordan Spieth might end up with only one green jacket in his closet.

Parting shots

• 🔄 Bounce back: He may have failed to keep pace with playing partner Rory McIlroy, but Cameron Young still deserves some credit for an impressive comeback. The reigning champion of THE PLAYERS was 4 over through 11 holes before battling back in a big way, and he not only made the cut but will head into the weekend inside the top 10 at 4 under. Young has made nine birdies against one bogey over his last 25 holes.
• 💨 Firm and fast: Those are the conditions Patrick Reed (T2) hopes to see this weekend to help close a six-shot gap. Eight years after he beat McIlroy for a green jacket, Reed hopes to chase him down again. “I definitely felt like I have always wanted to put it on a second time,” he said.
• 📉 Streak snapped: Scottie Scheffler’s 2-over 74 in the second round ended a run of 11 straight rounds of par or better at Augusta National, the third-longest such streak in Masters history. Watery approaches on Nos. 13 and 15 both left a mark on his scorecard.
• ✅ Streak intact: Hideki Matsuyama, the winner here in 2021, made his 12th straight Masters cut after rounds of 72-70. It’s the longest made cut streak of anyone in this year’s field.
• 🌱 First-timers flourishing: Who says you can’t learn on the fly? Eight of the 22 first-time participants are staying for the weekend, led by Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan, who made four straight birdies on the second nine to reach 4 under.
• 8️⃣ Elite eight: That’s how many players broke par in both rounds at Augusta National. It’s a group that includes the top-six players on the leaderboard, plus Haotong Li and Jason Day, both sitting at 3 under.