By Tom Edrington

June 17, 2011 - Bethesda, MD (AHN)

Rory McIlroy simply looked super-human for 35 holes at the 111th U.S. Open championship.

The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland picked up where he left off on Thursday, he entered rarified air Friday and became the first player ever in the long history of this championship to get to 13-under par. He was 13-under going into the difficult 18th hole.

It was at the 18th where McIlroy made his first mistake in two days. He was seven-under par for his round, 13-under for the championship and threatening to run away from the field. But his final drive found the left rough and from there he tried to draw his second shot onto the green but he over-hooked it and it found the water guarding the left side of the green.

From there he chipped within 10 feet but missed his bogey putt.

Despite the double, he closed with a five-under par round of 66 to go with his opening 65 and that 11-under par total of 131 sets a new U.S. Open scoring record for 36 holes.

He blew past the old mark of eight-under set by Ricky Barnes at Bethpage Black in 2008.

McIlroy got off to a dazzling start on the front nine. He holed a 25-foot birdie putt at the fourth to get to seven-under then hit his third shot on the par five sixth within five feet, holed it and got to eight-under.

The big shot of the day came at the eighth, the 354-yard par four. McIlroy hit a soft pitching wedge from 114 yards that carried to 120 and drew back down the slope and into the hole for an eagle two. It got him to 10-under and he'd finish the front nine at that number and became the fastest player to reach double-digits under par in this championship.

But he didn't stop at 10-under, he sank a five-footer for birdie at the 14th to get to 11-under then hit two great shots at the par five 16th and had a 10-footer for eagle which he narrowly missed then tapped in to get to 12-under. At the 17th his approach stopped 12 feet from the hole and he made that dead-center to get to the number no player has ever seen in the U.S. Open -- 13-under par.

Then the mishap at 18 took it away.

"Naturally you gotta be disappointed," McIlroy said calmly after the round. "But looking at the last two days, it's pretty good. I've played some of the best golf I've ever played. It's very near the best I can play. I'm halfway there but I need to keep it going over the next two days," he said, remembering his previous problems at majors.

"It's a big challenge," he said, thinking of capturing a first major. "I felt very much at east. Every time I get into this position, I feel a little more comfortable each time."

As for his weekend strategy, he has a simple plan -- "Stay agressive and commit to the target."

McIlroy was nine shots ahead of players who finished lowest in the morning wave.

Former Masters champion Zach Johnson played behind McIlroy and finished with a 69 to get to two-under par 140. He was joined by Sergio Garcia (71), Brandt Snedeker and Robert Garrigus, who shot one-under par 70s.

Closest to McIlory was former PGA champion Y.E. Yang who started his second round at three-under and teed off just after 1:30 p.m.

But it was a certainty that McIlroy would take a huge lead into the weekend.

Phil Mickelson played with McIlroy and followed his lead for most of the day. Mickelson got himself back to even par for the tournament with a 33 on the front nine then stayed around that number on the back until he hit the par five 16th in two.

He then two-putted for a birdie to get to one-under for tournament and four-under on his round.

But like McIlroy, Mickelson found trouble at 18 when he drove left as well, then nearly hit a great second shot but it was a shade too far left, caught the slope of the green and found the water. Mickelson took a double bogey that dropped him back to one-over par, 143 after a 69 but guaranteed himself a spot for the final 36.

Spain's Alvaro Quiros shot an even par round and was one-under at 141 along with Korea's Kyung-tae Kim.

 

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Rory McIlroy Runs Past Field: Sets 36-Hole Scoring Record at U.S. Open