Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland has taken a commanding six-stroke lead at the Masters (golf's first major championship of the year, held annually at Augusta National in Georgia, USA) after 36 holes of play. The world-class golfer fired a stunning second-round 65, finishing the day with birdies on six of his final seven holes to reach 12-under-par — a performance described as one of the most remarkable closing stretches in major championship history. The lead is a record at the halfway stage of the Masters, setting McIlroy up as the overwhelming favourite heading into the weekend rounds.