Rory McIlroy seized a commanding six-stroke lead at the ⁠Masters on Friday to leave a leaderboard packed with major title winners looking up at the defending champion as the tournament reached the halfway point.

McIlroy is 12-under par heading into the weekend with Americans Sam Burns and Patrick Reed tied for second at six under and Englishman Justin Rose, Ireland’s Shane Lowry and Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood one further adrift.

McIlroy came out all guns blazing and finished in spectacular fashion.

He birdied six of his final ‌seven holes and brought out a huge roar from the patrons when he chipped in at 17, holding his club aloft in an electrifying scene.

“It was tricky. It was up and over,” he said. “I couldn’t see the bottom of the flag, so all I saw were the patrons standing up on the grandstand like it had a chance, and it went in.”

Another birdie on the last delivered McIlroy the biggest 36-hole lead in Masters history on a sun-drenched day at Augusta National.