Rory McIlroy holds record lead at the Masters

Defending champion Rory McIlroy holds a six-stroke lead at the Masters tournament at Augusta National after the first two rounds. McIlroy reached 12-under par following a strong performance on Friday, which included birdies on six of his final seven holes and a notable chip-in at the 17th. This result establishes the largest 36-hole lead in the history of the tournament. Americans Sam Burns and Patrick Reed are tied for second place at six-under par. Other notable players, including Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, and Tommy Fleetwood, remain further behind. The event, which marks the first major of the year, is taking place under sunny conditions without previous champions Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. McIlroy, 36, is competing to become the first player to successfully defend his Masters title since Tiger Woods in 2001-2002.