McIlroy on the tee at 18. Stripes it. One more good swing will give him a shot at a 65 and a six-shot lead after 36 holes.

That would be a tournament record.

McIlroy has brought Augusta's iconic closing stretch to its knees with five birdies in six holes from the 12th.

A four at the last will give him a 66, matching his Friday score from last year.

Oh my word! Rory McIlroy, take a bow.

After playing out of the trees, he chips in for an unlikely birdie at 17 and extends his lead to five!

He landed the ball in the perfect spot from 85 feet. It takes a couple of little bounces and skids its way into the cup.

I certainly didn't see this coming a couple of hours ago when he was battling his swing and had slipped back into a share of the lead.

Incredible scenes.

McIlroy grimaces as he hooks his drive into the trees on 17.

He doesn't really have anything going for him, so he just bullets one back into position.

Battling for par.

Xander Schauffele misses a chance to birdie the last as his putt wheels away. He taps in for a even-round of 70.

He's quite a way off Rory McIlroy at the moment, but there's still a long way to go.

Matt Fitzpatrick is a shot further back at one-under after he made par on the last.

Earlier this week, Rory McIlroy said he wasn't sure anyone would reach double digits under par on a firm and fiery Augusta.

Now, it'll be interesting to see how the course dries out over the weekend, but to reach -10 in 34 holes is a remarkable showing from the world number two.

No mistake from Rory McIlroy!

That's four birdies in five holes and he opens up a four-shot lead.

He's taking this Masters defence by the scruff of the neck.

Cameron Young also played a lovely shot in but comes up shy in his bid for a fifth straight birdie. He's six back of his playing partner.

Shane Lowry, speaking to Sky Sports after his bogey-free 69:

"I think I plodded my way around the course nicely. I had a couple of nice breaks and holed a couple of par putts.

"Thankfully that one for birdie went in on the last. Any day you go bogey-free round here you have to be happy.

"I was hitting good shots and just wasn't converting but I was patient out there."

Tommy Fleetwood's second leaves him in a spot of bother right of Patrick Reed's ball. And it doesn't help when he puts too much on his chip and his ball races way beyond the flag.

He'll be putting for par from nearly 20 feet which is surprising given how good he is with his irons.

Less of a shock is that he can't make the save and neither can Reed who sticks his arm out trying to direct his ball right as it slides past from six feet.

Akshay Bhatia's Masters is also over as he cards a third double bogey on a disappointing back nine.

How about that?!

Rory McIlroy's ball catches the slope on 16 and he'll have around three feet for a birdie on 16.

Starting to surge clear again.

A high draw with his approach shot to the 17th green gives Xander Schauffele a decent birdie chance, but his putt from around 10 feet is just short.

The American has to settle for par.

Matt Fitzpatrick consolidates his birdie on the previous hole with par.

Andrew Magee
PGA Tour winner on BBC Radio 5 Live

It's a beautiful routine for Rory McIlroy. Now go to the 16th tee, knock it on the green and have another birdie putt

McIlroy's birdie putt dies in the front of the cup at 15 and he moves to nine under, two clear of Patrick Reed!

He had a little wobble earlier on, but that's three birdies in four on the back nine and it warrants a celebratory punch of the air from the defending champion.

But not to be outdone, Cameron Young curls in his birdie try and that's four on the spin for the American. Five-under for the day and his stunning resurgence continues apace.

Matt Fitzpatrick with his fourth birdie of the round helps him go one-under.

The Englishman finds the green at the par-three 16th with a stunning tee shot that leaves him just two feet from the hole.

He raises his ball to acknowledge the crowd after tapping in.

Patrick Reed finds the first cut down the right off the 18th tee. Not where he'd want to be with his direct route into the dance floor obstructed by trees.

He is gripping down his club looking for a big cut but it doesn't chase on enough and he'll be chipping from just off the apron.

There's an anxious look from Tommy Fleetwood as his ball drifts left and then takes a hop back on to the fairway just short of the massive bunker over there.

Akshay Bhatia chunks his second from the middle of the fairway. His weekend plans are not sorted just yet.

McIlroy takes his medicine at 15 and punches back into the fairway, leaving himself 93 yards.

His wedge play has been patchy but that's one of his better ones. He lands it long and spins it back to about 10 feet for a birdie.

Image source, Getty Images

Xander Schauffele ends a streak of three bogeys with a par, then follows it up with a brilliant birdie at the 15th.

The 32-year-old gets himself out of the bunker with a beautiful wedge and just misses an eagle as the ball fizzes past the hole. Schauffele then slides in a 10-foot putt for birdie.

Can Schauffele finish with a flourish?

Brilliant from Patrick Reed, who runs his approach into around 10 feet on what he described as the hardest green on the course on Thursday.

His putt is unerring and finds the middle of the cup as Tommy Fleetwood takes two with his putter from long range. The American is just a stroke off the lead now.

There's also some respite for Akshay Bhatia, who holes out from the sand for birdie and with that moves just inside the cut line.

Jason Day is in amongst the magnolia bushes on the 18th. He does well to lash his ball out of the pinestraw and back into the short stuff.

Ohhh and he produces a delightful third with his wedge to give himself a slippery one for a par. Ah, it slips by on the left and he'll have to settle for a bogey and a 71.

Shane Lowry is eyeing a closing birdie though. He plays a beauty and feeds it back down the slope. Six feet for birdie. He drains it!

That's a bogey-free 69 for the Irishman and he's well-placed at the halfway point.

McIlroy. Par-five. Missed fairway. 0/8 this week.

A shocker at 15 and he may have tree trouble.