Rory McIlroy breaks Masters record as defending Champion storms to largest 36-hole lead in history

Ed Griffiths
Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:11:51 +0000

Rory McIlroy has established the largest 36-hole advantage in Masters history, sitting six strokes clear of the field at Augusta National.

The defending champion produced a stunning seven-under 65 on Friday, reaching 12-under par for the tournament after an extraordinary closing stretch.

McIlroy made birdies on six of his final seven holes, including a chip-in on the par-four 17th and a two-footer on the 16th.

The Northern Irishman had earlier moved three ahead with consecutive birdies from the second hole, before dropping shots at the fifth and 10th, allowing Patrick Reed to draw level.

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From there, the 36-year-old pulled away decisively, surpassing the previous record of five shots held by six players, including Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler.

Victory this weekend would see McIlroy join an extraordinarily select group in golf history.

Just three players have successfully defended the Masters title: Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods, with the latter achieving the feat 24 years ago.

The scale of that challenge, even for a five-time major champion, underlines why Augusta remains so demanding.

Last year, McIlroy ended an 11-year wait for a major title and became only the sixth golfer to complete the career grand slam, finally claiming the Green Jacket on his 17th attempt.

Now another piece of history beckons for the Northern Irishman, who appears in supreme form as he seeks to add his name alongside golf's greatest champions.

McIlroy spoke of maintaining an attacking approach rather than protecting his advantage.

He said: "I've built up a nice cushion at this point. I guess my mindset is just trying to keep playing well and keeping my foot on the gas. Don't protect it. Go out and play freely, keep swinging."

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The five-time major winner drew on painful memories from 15 years ago, when he held a four-shot lead entering the final round before shooting 80.

He added: "A big part of the lesson from the 2011 Masters to the 2011 US Open was: don't get protective. Go out there and keep playing, keep trying to make birdies, stay as trusting and as committed as possible."

McIlroy credited his wedge play and short game as the foundation of his scoring, noting that Augusta enables players to build momentum when confidence is flowing.

Patrick Reed and Sam Burns share second place on six-under par, with Reed having previous Masters pedigree after defeating McIlroy in the final pairing to claim the 2018 title.

Tommy Fleetwood sits one stroke further back following a 68 that included two eagles, while Shane Lowry and Justin Rose are tied for fifth on five-under.

Reed acknowledged the challenge ahead but remained optimistic. "It's one of those golf courses that if you go out and you post a low number, you just never know," he said.

Fleetwood was more direct about the situation: "Rory has a commanding lead and it's up to him what happens."

World number one Scottie Scheffler finds himself 12 shots adrift after a 74, while Bryson DeChambeau missed the cut following a triple-bogey seven on the 18th.