Golf
Defending champ McIlory leads by six at Augusta─── MORGAN PIEK 07:25 Sat, 11 Apr 2026
Rory McIlroy produced a late charge at the Masters, lighting up Augusta National with one of the most memorable finishes the tournament has seen, while the South African contingent has been reduced to one.
In tricky, fast-running conditions, McIlroy caught fire down the stretch on Friday, rattling off birdies on six of his final seven holes. His superb second-round 65 lifted him to 12-under-par 132 at the halfway mark – and into a commanding six-shot lead, the largest ever after 36 holes at Augusta.
The world number two’s surge was nothing short of spectacular. The highlight came at the par-four 17th, where he holed a delicate 29-yard pitch for birdie, sending the galleries into a frenzy.
He then kept his composure on the 18th, rolling in a tidy six-footer to cap off a remarkable closing stretch and etch his name into the record books.
Rory McIlroy. Photo: X
“It was an unbelievable finish,” McIlroy said afterwards. “Standing on the 12th tee, I certainly didn’t think I’d be heading into the weekend with this kind of cushion.”
His charge had gathered momentum earlier on the back nine. Birdies at the 12th and 13th saw him take control, before further gains at the 15th and 16th tightened his grip on the leaderboard.
By the time he walked off the 18th green, he had strung together four consecutive birdies – a run that will be spoken about for years at Augusta.
McIlroy, chasing a rare piece of history with back-to-back green jackets, credited patience as the key on a course that can quickly turn on you. “At Augusta, momentum can come in waves,” he explained.
“It’s about staying patient and waiting for your moment – and when it comes, you’ve got to take it.”
Behind him, Patrick Reed slipped late, missing a short putt on 18 to card a 69 and fall into a share of a distant second alongside fellow American Sam Burns on six-under-par 138.
Charl Schwartzel. Photo: LIV Golf
A further shot back, is the South African-born Justin Rose of England – a three-time runner-up at Augusta – sits alongside countryman Tommy Fleetwood, still searching for a maiden major, and Ireland’s Shane Lowry on 139.
Meanwhile, the 2011 champion, Charl Schwartzel, was the only South African to make the cut for the weekend. Heading into the third round, Schwartzel, is on 4-over-par.
Casey Jarvis was on 8-over-par following the second round, while Aldrich Potgieter, missed the cut for the first time in his career, recording 15-over-par after two rounds.
