Rory McIlroy pulls away with birdie binge and sets Masters record with 6-shot lead at halfway mark

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The only thing that stopped Rory McIlroy in the Masters was running out of holes to play Friday.

McIlroy stood on the 12th tee in a tie with Patrick Reed and with a dozen other players bunched together in what was shaping up to be a compelling chase for the green jacket.

Six birdies over his final seven holes for a 7-under 65 left everyone to wonder if they were playing for second. McIlroy's fourth straight birdie to close out the best round of the week gave him a six-shot advantage, setting the Masters record for largest 36-hole lead.

“I knew I had some chances coming in when I was standing on the 12th tee, but I didn’t think I’d birdie six of the last seven,” he said. “It just shows what you can do around here.”

He did it in spectacular fashion. McIlroy twice made birdie on the par 5s after laying up from the trees. He twice had short putts on the par 3s. And if all that wasn't enough, he chipped in from 30 yards up a slope so steep he couldn't even see the hole.

The final hour of a fascinating day started to look like a victory lap for McIlroy, who spent 17 years trying to win the Masters and now looks like he can't wait to do it again.

His tee shot over Rae's Creek on the dangerous 12th hole landed 7 feet behind the flag. He birdied both par 5s after having to lay up from the trees. He took advantage of the lower pin at the par-3 16th for what amounted to a tap-in birdie.

And then he really sent the gallery into a frenzy when he chipped in from 30 yards on the 17th. McIlroy knew it was good because “I could see everyone in the grandstand start to stand up.”

And there was one more to go — another perfect approach that came down the slope to 6 feet for one last birdie.

That put him at 12-under 132, six shots clear of Reed (69) and Sam Burns (71). The previous record for the largest 36-hole lead at Augusta National was five shots by six players, most recently Scottie Scheffler in 2022. The first was Harry “Lighthorse” Cooper in 1936, the only player in that position who did not win the Masters.

If McIlroy holds on, he would become the fourth player to win back-to-back at the Masters, joining Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods.

He had a two-shot lead after 36 holes in 2011 and stretched it to four shots going into the final round before he famously imploded with an 80. That was the start of his Masters heartache that lasted until a year ago, when he triumphed in a playoff to finally prove he could win at Augusta National.

Maybe he should start thinking about next year’s menu for the Masters Club dinner.

“I know what can happen around here, good and bad,” McIlroy said with a smile. “You don't have to remind me not to get ahead of myself. There's a long way to go. I got off to an amazing start.”

Augusta allowed for that. It was warmer, brighter, drier. The wind wasn't quite as strong and the gusts didn't swirl as much. And there was much better scoring in part because of more generous pin positions, including on 16 and 18, where cleanly struck shots could feed toward the hole.

The scores were nearly two shots lower than Thursday.

That didn't help everyone, least of all Bryson DeChambeau. He fought back from an opening 76 and was one shot below the cut line when it took him two shots to get out of a greenside bunker on the 18th, the second shot rolling off the false front back down to the fairway. He made triple bogey and missed the cut.

Reed was bogey-free until failing to save par on the final hole. That also cost him a spot in the final group Saturday with McIlroy. They were paired together in the last group in 2018, with seemingly all of Augusta on McIlroy's side, only for Reed to win handily.

Burns birdied his last two holes to salvage a 71 and will be paired with McIlroy.

Justin Rose, the playoff loser to McIlroy a year ago, had a rough day with the putter and still shot 69 to be part of the group at 5-under 139 — now seven shots behind — along with Shane Lowry (69) and Tommy Fleetwood, who had two eagles in his round of 68.

McIlroy took three weeks off heading into the Masters — no one since Adam Scott in 2013 won the Masters coming off a break that long — and felt it was to his advantage.

He took multiple trips to Augusta — sometimes day trips to get home for dinner — and spent most of his time working on his short game, which has been superb.

“I felt like I was part of the furniture,” McIlroy said of all his visits to the course.

He also had a six-shot lead at the Congressional in the 2011 U.S. Open, the major after he blew his big lead at the Masters, and he went on to win by eight. He learned that week to push on instead of protect, the same approach he plans for the weekend.

“Look, I’ve built up a nice cushion at this point,” McIlroy said. “I guess my mindset is just trying to keep playing well and keeping my foot on the gas.”

Scheffler, the world's No. 1 player who has won two of the last four Masters, is now 12 shots behind. Scheffler twice hit into the water on the par 5s on the back nine, made bogey on both, and shot 74 for his first round over par at the Masters in three years.

The players in what looked to be the B-flight had all finished before McIlroy went on his astonishing run of birdies. Cameron Young and U.S. Amateur champion Mason Howell had a front-row seat to McIlroy in full command at the Masters.

“You've got to stay in your own lane, but it’s hard not to watch that,” Howell said after missing the cut. “That chip-in on 17 was unreal. That was one of the coolest things I’ve seen in sports, and I got to witness it in person. So that was awesome.”

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, walks to green on the 11th hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tommy Fleetwood, of England, waves after his putt on the 10th hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Sam Burns watches his tee shot on the 12th hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Patrick Reed reacts after missing a putt on the 15th hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, celebrates after a putt on the 16th hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits his tee shot on the 16th hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Jon Rahm, of Spain, watches his tee shot on the 11th hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Bryson DeChambeau watches his tee shot on the 12th hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Sam Burns hits his tee shot on the 18th hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits from the fairway on the 15th hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

PROVO, Utah (AP) — Lawyers for the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk were in court Tuesday, making their case to bar reporters and the public from parts of a key upcoming hearing and seal some evidence after the judge rejected their request to ban news cameras from the courtroom.

Tyler Robinson's defense has argued that broadcasts of the proceedings create a media frenzy that often misrepresent him and could bias potential jurors. They hope to restrict access to parts of his preliminary hearing, scheduled for July 6-10, when prosecutors must show they have enough evidence to warrant a trial.

That hearing will mark the most significant presentation of evidence to date in a case that has focused largely on public access in its first eight months.

The defense began Tuesday by urging the judge to punish prosecutors for comments that one of them, Christopher Ballard, made outside of court. Richard Novak, an attorney for Robinson, said Ballard essentially went on a “media tour” in which he made “expressions of opinion as to Mr. Robinson’s guilt.”

Prosecutors responded that Ballard had a right to speak to news outlets to correct misinformation about an inconclusive, preliminary finding by ballistics experts, which led to speculation about Robinson’s possible exoneration. “Here he was representing the true nature of that report" and did not make a statement of opinion about guilt, Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride said.

Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty if Robinson, 23, is convicted. He is charged with crimes including aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 assassination of the conservative activist on the Utah Valley University campus. Robinson has not yet entered a plea.

Prior to his death, Kirk and the conservative youth movement he founded, Turning Point USA, emerged as a major force in U.S. politics and helped President Donald Trump win a second term.

As public attention has swirled, state District Judge Tony Graf has taken steps to protect Robinson’s rights in court, but he declined earlier this month to bar cameras.

During the preliminary hearing, prosecutors say they plan to introduce forensic analyses, surveillance video, recordings of witness statements, autopsy findings and alleged messages from Robinson admitting to the crime.

Defense attorneys have asked the judge to seal dozens of those exhibits to “prevent infecting the potential jury pool,” according to a court document filed Monday.

Prosecutors argue that the preliminary hearing should remain open, but they agree that media should be restricted from viewing or copying some exhibits that could be used in a future trial.

Prosecutors have said Robinson left a note for his romantic partner hidden under a keyboard that said, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.” They have also said he wrote in a text message about Kirk: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”

Authorities have said DNA consistent with Robinson’s was found on the trigger of the rifle used to kill Kirk, the fired cartridge casing, two unfired cartridges and a towel used to wrap the rifle.

Deputy Utah County Attorney Chad Grunander said in court documents that some evidence prosecutors plan to present in July is “reliable hearsay,” or statements made outside of court that are considered highly trustworthy. Such statements are typically allowed in preliminary hearings but not at trial, where standards are stricter.

Robinson’s attorneys worry the statements will spread widely after the preliminary hearing, harm their client and then not be admissible at a trial.

Prosecutors disagree, saying in a court filing, “There is nothing to suggest that the substance of the evidence is inadmissible.”

FILE - An attendee holds a poster of Charlie Kirk during a Turning Point USA rally, Sept. 30, 2025, in Logan, Utah. (AP Photo/Alex Goodlett, File)