Rory McIlroy needed to get off to a great start in the second round of the 89th Masters.
He was coming off a disastrous, disheartening finish to Round 1. He had the better end of the draw, weather wise.
Friday, he birdied the par-5 second and then … nothing.
McIlroy parred his next seven holes to turn in 1-under 35, 1 under for the tournament and eight off the lead.
But McIlroy birdied the par-4 10th.
He birdied the par-4 11th.
He got an incredibly fortunate break on the par-3 12th, where his ball bounced hard into the bushes behind the green and kicked into a safe spot, from where he putted off the green and saved par.
Three straight ‘3’s became four when he hit his second shot off the pine staw to within 10 feet at the par-5 13th. What McIlroy thought might be a water ball turned into an eagle.
That put McIlroy at 5 under par — ahead of where he was when he collapsed late Thursday with double bogeys on Nos. 15 and 17 — and three off the lead.
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