British Open leaderboard 2014: Rory McIlroy in complete control, leads by 5

Rory McIlroy’s struggles on Friday this season have been well documented. The former No. 1 player in the world is 9-over in his second rounds this season, compared to 90-under in the other three rounds. Those issues left plenty of skepticism heading into the second round, even after he shot 66 to take the first-round lead. Whatever plagued him in the past was not an issue on Friday at the British Open. McIlroy not only remained in the lead, but he increased his advantage thanks to a 6-under round of 66.

McIlroy is 12-under through 36 holes and five shots clear of the field. The weather conditions, especially the wind, let up a bit in the afternoon and McIlroy took full advantage. He was dialed in throughout the round, hitting a number of exceptional approach shots. At times he drove the ball beautifully, allowing him to attack pins. At others, he was a bit errant. Either way it didn’t seem to matter. McIlroy hit a number of terrific recovery shots, like this one from the thick rough at No. 10 to set up one of his seven birdies on the round:

Sometimes when you’re going well, you are just going well. That was McIlroy on Friday. He very rarely had to scramble to to save par. He dropped a shot with a bogey on No. 1 and that was the only major trouble he ran into. It seemed that anytime he hit a poor shot during the final 17 holes, he followed it up with a great one. He could have dipped even further into the red, if not for a couple missed birdie putts.

Not only was McIlroy’s top form on display, but he appeared to be a completely different player than last year when he referred to himself as “brain dead” after missing the cut in the 2013 Open. McIlroy had an extra bounce in his step, walking and playing with supreme confidence. He looked like he was having fun, smiling as he walked up the fairway following a good shot. The difference in his demeanor this year compared to last is drastic.

McIlroy certainly benefited from the luck of a draw, playing both of his rounds in the easier weather conditions. That doesn’t take away from his round, however. Many other players played both rounds in the easier conditions, but no one else was able to string two rounds together like McIlroy. His strong play doesn’t secure him the Claret Jug, but it does give him a significant advantage heading into the weekend. As things stand right now, McIlroy will head to the weekend with a five-stroke advantage over the rest of the field. Carding back-to-back 66s will do that for you.