Maybe Rory McIlroy will want to talk about this performance.
A day after brushing off media following a first-round implosion in the opening round of the Masters, the Northern Irishman climbed into the top three after firing off a bogey-free 66 in the second round at Augusta National.
McIlroy surged in the second half of his Friday round, hitting back-to-back birdies on the par-4 10th and 11th holes, adding an eagle on the par-5 13th and another birdie on the par-5 15th.
“I think overall just proud of myself with how I responded today after the finish last night,” McIlroy told reporters Friday.
“I just had to remind myself that I played really good golf yesterday, and you know, I wasn’t going to let, you know, two bad holes sort of dictate the narrative for the rest of the week. But yeah, just ultimately proud of how I got back into it today.”
That came after his stunning birdie on the par-5 second hole, where he had to hit out from behind a tree.
That finish is in stark contrast to his Thursday start, in which he finished even at 72 following double-bogeys on holes No. 15 and 17.
Now, he’s put himself in a good position to have a chance to win this one.
“Again, golf tournaments are so long, and there’s so much that can happen, even in the next 36 holes,” McIlroy said. “My mindset was: ‘I shot even par yesterday. I probably need to get to somewhere between 12- and 15-under to win this tournament.’
“You know, there was plenty of time to do that. So yeah, again, just about staying patient.”