Rory Rollercoaster as Spieth Slips

McIlroy at Augusta, Round 2

Rory McIlroy believes the Masters "owes" him a green jacket to complete the career grand slam after setting up a mouthwatering battle with defending champion Jordan Spieth.

McIlroy could have won his first major title at Augusta National when he took a four-shot lead into the final round in 2011, only to collapse to a closing 80 to finish 10 shots behind the winner Charl Schwartzel.

The 26-year-old bounced back to win the US Open two months later and the US PGA title in 2012, meaning victory in the Open at Hoylake in 2014 left him needing victory in the Masters to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in having won all four majors.

"I sort of feel that Augusta owes me something and I have come with that attitude," McIlroy said after a second round of 71 in swirling winds left him just a shot behind Spieth, who struggled to a 74. "I have come here to get something that I should have had a long time ago.

"You need to be so focused and in control of your emotions here. It's about not getting fazed and mentally I have been good the last couple of days. I need to keep that going for the next two days."

McIlroy was eight shots behind Spieth after 11 holes as the world number two threatened to turn the tournament into a procession for the second year running in his quest to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods in making a successful title defence.

However, The Masters ChampionsSpieth then four-putted the fifth and became noticeably annoyed at being timed for slow play around Amen Corner on his way to his worst score in 10 rounds as a professional.

McIlroy took full advantage with birdies on the 13th, 15th and 16th to put himself in a great position, but admits he needs to ignore who he is playing with and the significance of what he is trying to achieve.

"Look, I know it's a very big weekend for me. I know that," he said. "But when I'm out there on the golf course, I just have to be completely 100 per cent focused on the task at hand, and if I can do that and stay in the moment and be completely focused over every golf shot I hit from now until Sunday night, then hopefully everything will work out the way I want it to."

Despite his rollercoaster round, Spieth still became the first player in Masters history to hold the outright lead for six rounds in succession, but joked he would rather play with someone "less threatening" than McIlroy.

"We seem to both be on our games right now and focusing on this week. With a lot of players behind us there is potential for someone to shoot a few under tomorrow and move into the lead from outside the top 25.

"I don think either one of us will focus on each other, we'll focus on the course. Sure it's exciting to play with Rory, but we'll not think much more of it."

The top 32 players are separated by just six shots.

Shane Lowry remains just four off the lead despite singing for a 76.

US Amateur champion Bryson DeChambeau was also on level par after a triple-bogey seven following two wild drives on the 18th, when a par would have made the 22-year-old the only player in the field to break 70.

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Pressure is for Tyres - Rory McIlroy

JP Fitzgerald and Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy is certain that he will win the Masters at some point in his career to complete the career grand slam, but admits there is no time like the present.

McIlroy finished a creditable fourth last year in his first attempt to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in winning all four major titles.

But following the emergence of Masters and US Open winner Jordan Spieth and US PGA champion Jason Day, the 26-year-old would love to get his hands on a first green jacket sooner rather than later.

Irish Examiner sports editor Tony Leen poses the questions to sports journalist Denis Hurley and former European Tour golfer John McHenry as the panel discuss The Masters 2016. Follow @TonyLeen, @Denis_Hurley, @McHenryJohn and @BallTalkTV on Twitter. Video by Pauline Hallissey. Irish Examiner.

"I feel like I'm a good enough player," the world number three said. "I feel like I've got everything I need to become a Masters champion. But I think each and every year that passes that I don't, it will become increasingly more difficult. So there's no time like the present to get it done."

McIlroy admits he felt "exposed" by the hype surrounding his grand slam bid 12 months ago, when the return of 14-time major winner Tiger Woods was the main alternative focus.

Being the only member of the world's top five without a win this season has contributed to a somewhat more subdued build-up, along with a deliberate change in preparation in order to get off to a fast start.

"I feel like last year I didn't do much wrong really," added McIlroy, who did not visit Augusta before this week and opted for competitive matches in practice, the first of which he ended with a hole-in-one on the 16th on Monday against Chris Wood.

"I played well. I finished 12 under par for the tournament. But I was three over after 27 holes and that's not going to get it done.

"I think part of that was having so much expectation and thinking of the grand slam and thinking of the Masters, where I needed to just take a step back and relax and go out and try and play my own game.

"Someone once told me pressure is for tyres. The pressure I should feel is the pressure I put on myself and any outside influences, it shouldn't really come into play.

"This course is well suited for me. I don't need anyone to tell me that. So it should make me more comfortable knowing that I can go out and play my game, and that's why I want to be as relaxed as possible. Because if I am, it means that when I go out there, I can let my game just flow and express itself and if I can do that around this golf course, I feel like I can have a week like I've had in majors before and win."

Despite falling to third in the world rankings behind Day and Spieth, McIlroy is well aware that completing the grand slam will take him to another level, with Phil Mickelson and Tom Watson the only other players in the field to have won three of the four majors.

"To be only one of six people to do it, I feel like I've set myself apart from definitely the guys that are playing here this week," McIlroy added. "Obviously Phil has a chance to do that when he goes to the US Open as well.

"It's something that I'd obviously be very proud of and something that I feel would set me apart.

"I want to dominate. I want to go back to the summer of 2014 and play like that for the rest of my career. Whether that's possible or not remains to be seen, but I know that's a level that I can play at, and I'd love to be able to play at that level more consistently, and that's why I'm practising and working hard and trying to do that.

"What Jordan did here last year and the US Open and what Jason Day did during the summer and this year as well, yeah, I don't want to be left behind. I want to be a part of that conversation. I'm clinging on at the minute; a few wins will change that.

"Of course it's motivating. You don't want to see guys beating you. You want to be the best, so you want to go out there and win tournaments and try as hard as you can. But I feel like I'm close.

"I think it's imperative to get off to a good start here, especially for me. That's been the thing that's held me back the last couple of years, and I try to change that.

"I think coming back year after year, you do start to pick up on a lot and learn a lot more. This is my eighth Masters and hopefully I can use all that knowledge and experience to my advantage this week."

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Couples Out of First Masters Since 94

Fred Couples

Fred Couples is to miss his first Masters since 1994 after pulling out of this year's tournament because of acute back pain.

The 56-year-old, who won the green jacket in 1992, remains a threat at Augusta National, sharing the 36-hole lead in 2012 and was one shot behind going into the weekend in 2013.

His career has been slowed by back problems in the last 20 years, with Couples admitting the recent pain has been too much for him to prepare or to compete.

Couples has played only three times this year, once on the PGA Tour. He missed the cut at Riviera while visibly struggling with his back.

Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk and Jose Maria Olazabal are all also ruled out due to injury and with Korea's Sang-moon Bae performing military service.

The field in Atlanta this year is 89 players, the fewest since 2002.

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Master Spieth Fires 62

Masters champion Jordan Spieth shot a nine-under-par 62 in the second round of the RBC Heritage - only to be outdone by fellow American Troy Merritt's course record-equalling 61.

Spieth, 21, struggled to a three-over-par first round but a bogey-free day two moved him to six under at halfway.

He is six shots behind Merritt, who leads by four from two more Americans, Matt Kuchar and John Merrick.

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell carded 70 to be in a tie for fourth.

McDowell - who last won on the PGA Tour in this tournament in 2013 - co-led overnight in South Carolina but is now joined by Americans Jim Furyk and Kevin Kisner on seven under.

The former US Open champion said he thought "wow" when he saw Spieth's mark of 62, adding: "When you're on, you're on." 

Spieth, whose first-day struggles had left him at risk of missing a first cut in eight events, had nine birdies, chipping in on his penultimate hole and birdying the last after firing an iron to within four feet of the flag.

"That was just better golf," said Spieth, who has two wins and two runner-up finishes from his last four starts. "I told you guys yesterday, no excuses. I just played poorly."

"I went back to posture, ball position, hand position and tempo. And I struck that ball quite a bit better."

Merritt, 29, has never won on the PGA Tour but managed 10 birdies - seven of them on the back nine - to match David Frost's course record at Harbour Town set in 1994.

England's Ian Poulter and Luke Donald both finished inside the cut line on three under, level with Russell Knox, with his fellow Scot Martin Laird also making the weekend on level par.

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