AUGUSTA, Ga. — Imagine if Rory McIlroy had lost last year.
Just imagine if his miraculous approach on Sunday the 15th worked. Imagine if his winning putt in the playoffs missed. Imagine if any one of the thousands of little things had gone wrong, and what we would be talking about right now, this year.
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Instead, we’re talking about a man striding toward history with a six-stroke lead.
Of course, Rory won last year’s Masters in one of the most dramatic and heartwarming moments in the tournament’s history. And instead of carrying the burden of expectations, he returned to Augusta with the freedom to chase a record only three others have achieved: back-to-back Masters.
Chasing the second requires much less pressure than chasing the first. McIlroy took a share of the lead on Thursday and maintained that lead Friday afternoon, posting a 7-under 65 to move to 12 under for the tournament. He birdied three holes in a row from the start of the round and calmly brushed off bogeys on the 5th and 10th. As private planes and drones buzzed overhead, he clapped with customers in the crowded hallways between halls.
McIlroy kept his positive and, rarely, negative emotions in check as he moved from hole to hole, nonchalant but always focused. As he neared the clubhouse, he stepped on the gas pedal more and more. He birdied the 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th, and 17th and sent the patrons into a frenzy with chip-ins from off the green.
He then made 18 birdies, tied for the lead at No. 11 and had a six-stroke advantage heading into the weekend. It’s the largest lead in Masters history after 36 holes.
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“I feel very relaxed,” McIlroy said earlier this week. “I’ve been coming back here for years and I know I’m going to enjoy the perks that champions get here. It doesn’t make me any less motivated to go out there and play well and try to win a tournament, but I’m just more relaxed about everything.”
Yes, McIlroy still has to hold off Patrick Reed (-6), Sam Barnes (-6), Tommy Fleetwood (-5) and Justin Rose (-5). They were one playoff hole away from making McIlroy’s jacket their own, but really, that’s just part of McIlroy’s challenge this week. He is currently following golf legends like Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo (the only players to win consecutive Masters Tournaments).
So how exactly will McIlroy aim to win back-to-back major championships? One of the men who’s accomplished it before shared his wisdom Thursday morning.
“The key, obviously, is to win two years in a row. That’s number one,” Nicklaus joked. “I think Rory is the only one who has that chance this year.”
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Nicklaus apparently gave McIlroy some sharp advice in private: “Don’t make that damn double bogey.” McIlroy won the green jacket last year despite making four double bogeys, including two in the final round. This year, his card is scoreless through two rounds.
If he hadn’t won last year, the pressure this weekend would have been unimaginable. McIlroy’s every swing, every putt, every move will be in the spotlight and dissected for the world to see. But he won. It means he can dream bigger.
Now, imagine if he won two.
