McIlroy shows poise in first two rounds

Redeeming last year’s Sunday meltdown first required getting back to Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club.

Rory McIlroy is halfway there.

The 22-year-old walked off the 18th green Friday well within striking distance of the leaders after a second-round 69. Combined with Thursday’s 71, he’ll enter the weekend at 4-under par.

McIlroy actually grabbed a share of the lead at 5-under with birdies on both par-5s on the back nine. But his bogey out of the sand at 17 knocked him out of the top spot. He needed a long up-and-down from near the patron seating area right of 18 to save par and put him in a tie for third.

“I wouldn’t say I’m in a position to win yet, but we’ll see what happens tomorrow,” he said. “It will definitely be nice to feel like I’m in a good position going into Sunday.”

McIlroy, who blew a four-shot lead a year ago, has since proven his worth on Sundays, winning the U.S. Open last June in dominant fashion and climbing to No. 2 in the World Golf Rankings.

He’s already shown his poise this week, bouncing back from poor play early. He opened the tournament with a double bogey on the first hole but managed three birdies for a 35 on the front nine. Bogeys at 11 and 13 Thursday set him back again, but he ended the first round with a pair of birdies for a 1-under 71.

“I think the whole round yesterday was important to me - to not let the start get to me,” he said. “Those two birdies at the end really gave me some momentum going into today.”

After losing a share of the lead late Friday with the bogey on 17, McIlroy saved par at 18 with a tricky up-and-down from near the patron seating area.

“As nice as the two birdies were yesterday, if I had’ve finished with two bogeys today, I would have been just as bad,” he said. “It was great to get that up and down on 18.  I felt like I played very well today, and if I had fell from 5 under to 3 under the last two holes, it would have been pretty disappointing.”