Rory McIlroy fights back from the abyss, though career slam likely must wait

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits out of a bunker on the second hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament Friday, April 10, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits out of a bunker on the second hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament Friday, April 10, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Rory McIlroy and Camellia, the 10th hole at Augusta, have a strange relationship.

The hole starts up by the putting green, in the shadow of the Augusta National clubhouse, then drops off steeply. Cabins overlook the left side of the hole; on the right is a large expanse of round-destroying trees. It was at this hole in 2011 that McIlroy, who had up until that point been throttling the Masters field (this is an important point we'll return to later) saw his lead evaporate after a disastrous tee shot.

And it was on this hole, four years later, that McIlroy found some measure of redemption, kicking off a five-under back nine that may not have saved his Masters, but certainly saved his sanity. McIlroy had played the opening nine at +3, and stood on the cusp of missing the cut.

That would have been an ugly way indeed to close out his first attempt at a career slam. He's almost certainly lost this chance at a "McIlslam" or a "Slamilroy" or whatever the heck we would call it if he held all four majors at once, but at least he'll play the weekend and won't face an early ride home. But he can take comfort in the fact that he played the back 9 at -5, an exceptional series of holes that gives him the tiniest measure of confidence heading into the weekend.

"If I can string together four more nines like that, I'll have a chance," he said shortly after the round.

The back-nine run is key for McIlroy, who has often fallen completely apart when his chances of victory fade away. It's all part of a growing process for the world's No. 1, who's still relatively young [just 25] but is finding himself upstaged by someone even younger.

"I thought 10-under would be enough to win the entire tournament," McIlroy said. "I never thought someone would be there after the second day."

As for Jordan Spieth, whom McIlroy was trailing by 7 when he left the course and 13 when he returned? "I know better than most what can happen with a big lead," McIlroy said, before adding with a wry smile, "A few guys could catch him. It would take something exceptional for me to do that."

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.

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