McIlroy finished Thursday's first round at even par after two double-bogeys in the final four holes. He stormed back Friday with a six-under round to put him back into contention for his first green jacket. A Masters win is all he needs to complete the career Grand Slam.

As the attention of the golf world shifted to McIlroy after his victory at the Players Championship in March, I found myself wondering about Rory’s gameplan in 2025. On one hand, he’d played ...