McIlroy Bounces Back With Stunning 68 To Rejoin Masters Hunt

From Rushing Out To Roaring Back

Hey golf fans! Your Better Golf News here with an incredible comeback story from Augusta National. After Thursday’s disappointing finish had Rory McIlroy racing for the exits, he’s suddenly right back in the thick of the Masters chase!

Following a brutal finish to his opening round that included two double bogeys in his final four holes, McIlroy didn’t stick around for post-round interviews. He bolted past reporters, rushing home for a much more important priority – seeing his 4-year-old daughter Poppy before bedtime.

The Reset Button Works Wonders

“Once I left the property last night, I just sort of tried to leave what had happened here,” McIlroy explained Friday. “I rushed out of here to go home to see Poppy before she went to bed. So that was sort of nice to get to see her before she went to sleep… I feel like I just did a good job of resetting.”

That mental reset clearly paid dividends! McIlroy delivered a bogey-free 68 on Friday that has him sitting just two shots behind leader Justin Rose at the midway point of the tournament. From seven strokes back to firmly in contention – just like that!

After a steady front nine (1-under), McIlroy caught fire at the most famous stretch of holes in golf. He birdied 10 and 11 before producing the shot of his tournament at the par-5 13th. From the pine straw, McIlroy launched a daring approach that settled just 10 feet from the flag.

An Eagle To Remember

Even Rory wasn’t sure about the shot initially: “When the ball was in the air, I was like, ‘You idiot, what did you do?'” But his aggressive play was rewarded with an eagle that had his name finally appearing on Augusta’s iconic manual leaderboards.

McIlroy wasn’t done yet. He added another birdie at the par-5 15th – the very hole where he suffered one of Thursday’s double bogeys. Sweet redemption!

Learning From Thursday’s Mistakes

“I was so frustrated last night because I played so well, and you can make these big numbers from absolutely nowhere on this golf course,” McIlroy reflected. “It was a good reminder that you just have to have your wits about you on every single golf shot.”

Though he’s rebounded beautifully, McIlroy knows he’s only at the halfway point in his quest to finally capture that elusive green jacket and complete the career Grand Slam. The drought in majors has stretched since 2014, but this could be his moment.

The competition remains fierce heading into the weekend. Bryson DeChambeau sits at 7-under in second place, while world #1 Scottie Scheffler lurks just a few shots back. This Masters is setting up for a spectacular finish!

The Mental Game Champion

For many players, Thursday’s collapse might have derailed their entire tournament. Not for Rory. His resilience has been one of his defining characteristics throughout his career.

“I just backed up the belief that I have in myself, and the belief that I’m as resilient as anyone else out there,” McIlroy said. “I’ve been really proud of how resilient I’ve been the whole way through my career, and I think today was just another example of that.”