McIlroy amazes and sits at 11 under

BETHESDA, MD. -- In the second round of his so-far remarkable U.S. Open, Rory McIlroy made an eagle, five birdies and plenty of history. Plus, he made people all over the course look twice at leader boards. Was that really a red 13?

"I was kind of wondering what course he played today, or if he did play all the holes," said Zach Johnson, a major champion who was happy to be 2 under on a day when McIlroy was the first ever to reach 13 under par at a tournament that has been held since 1895.

Ultimately, 13 didn't last long Friday. McIlroy finished at 11 under after a double-bogey 6 on the 18th. That was his first score over par this week. That did nothing to diminish all the other firsts: His 131 is the lowest 36-hole total ever in the Open. He went under par by double digits in only 26 holes -- with an eagle on the par-4 eighth -- that was 13 holes sooner than Gil Morgan, the previous fastest to reach double digits, did it in 1992.

His six-stroke lead over Y.E. Yang ties the mark for the biggest second-round margin in Open history, set by Tiger Woods at Pebble Beach in 2000 -- the last time the Open had an opening this dominant.

Before the day was half over, other golfers were expressing the kind of awe they have directed toward Woods. Brandt Snedeker, tied for third at 2 under, said: "We're playing for second, unless he does something, unless he comes back to us. I don't see anybody shooting 65-65 on the weekend to jump up near him.

"He's in a very enviable, yet unenviable, position because it's all on him. If he plays decently, nobody is going to be able to catch him."

But McIlroy realizes that the only "first" that really matters is finishing there. Woods did that in 2000, which made his week at Pebble Beach so unforgettable. McIlroy, the 22-year-old from Northern Ireland, said, "I know more than probably anyone else what can happen."

In other words, all the history he made Friday won't trump his historic collapse at Augusta in April unless he plays well enough to hoist the trophy Sunday night.

So far, so good. He followed a stunning 65 at Congressional Country Club Thursday with an almost-as-stunning 66 Friday. Until he put his second shot on 18 in the water, he was routinely flawless and occasionally brilliant.

He choked down on a wedge from 114 yards on the par-4 eighth, and sank it. He nearly eagled the par-5 16th, lipping out a 10-foot putt and making a tap-in birdie.

Sure, Congressional's greens were a little soft, but Friday was not a shootout. Yang had to play very well to shoot 2-under-par 69, and he lost three shots to McIlroy.

"I didn't even know his score when I teed off. So I just played my game," Yang said through an interpreter.

The U.S. Golf Association, which supposedly sees red when golfers shoot well below par, was not in a panic. At least not in the person of Mike Davis, the USGA executive director, who said, "I like it. If you hit good shots, you're rewarded. He did that. I think it's great."

Of course, McIlroy heard all kinds of praise at the Masters, too, until his final nine holes that completed a round of 80. He has developed a thick skin about that.

"I said I needed to be a little more cocky, a little more arrogant on the course," McIlroy said. "I just try to have a bit of an attitude, you know?"

That could be harder for him than shooting 66. "I can't reiterate enough, he's a tremendous person," said Chris DeForest, 22, of Cottekill, N.Y., who finished at 5 over after having played a practice round Wednesday with the golfer whom he once opposed at the Junior Ryder Cup.

But Snedeker said, "I'm sure he's got a chip on his shoulder, the way he finished the Masters. So I'm sure he's going to want to finish the thing up right."