Schupak: It's Rory McIlroy's Masters to lose but beware of Patrick Reed

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Rory McIlroy is lapping the field at the 90th Masters by six shots but don’t hand him the Green Jacket just yet. Not if Patrick Reed, golf’s favorite villain, has something to say about it.

Reed bogeyed the last on Friday at Augusta National Golf Club but he’s still tied for second with Sam Burns at 6-under 138 and with a second Green Jacket of his own in his sightlines.

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The only other time Reed was in the top 5 after 36 holes at Augusta National? He won the Masters in 2018. And who did he stare down in the final round? McIlroy, who folded under the pressure of trying to complete the career Grand Slam.

That pressure has been relieved after McIlroy won last year. The monkey is off his back and he’s playing with a new freedom, or as he put it, “house money” as he pursues a sixth major that would tie him with Nick Faldo for the most by a European golfer in the modern era.

Rory McIlroy walks the 18th fairway with his caddie, Harry Diamond, during the second round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

It was Faldo who famously hunted down Greg Norman, who held a six-stroke lead heading into the final round in 1996, shooting a flawless 65 while Norman cratered to 76.

This is a different McIlroy than the 21-year-old wunderkind who melted down in 2011, shooting a final round 80. Reed is happy to wear the black hat and nothing would please him more than to play spoiler and hunt down McIlroy, who he outdueled in one of the greatest singles matches in Ryder Cup history in 2016 at Hazeltine.

“Any time I sit there and shoot back-to-back 69s or anything in the 60s on Thursday, Friday in Augusta, you're happy,” he said of his start.

How long has he been thinking of being in possession of the Green Jacket for another year?

“Oh, I mean, after winning in '18, at that point I definitely felt like I have always wanted to put it on a second time,” he said. “I think the biggest thing really is you always dream as a golfer to go out and try to win the Green Jacket… Now I was able to close out in '18 and give myself some good opportunities since then. Hopefully we can go ahead and get my second one.”

Reed is the name chasing McIlroy who won't be intimidated by him, who won't mind bringing McIlroy more heartache. Add in the fact that he's oozing confidence with his game, winning twice on the DP World Tour already this season and saying of his game, "I hit every golf shot how I wanted to." If it all goes awry on the weekend for McIlroy, there’s no one whom McIlroy, as the defending champion, would less like to drape the Green Jacket on the shoulders of than Reed, the golfer who once had papers served to McIlroy on Christmas Eve by his legal team.

So, McIlroy says he won’t try to protect the lead, that he will try to stay aggressive and make Reed and his fellow competitors do something really special on the weekend to catch him. But beware of golf’s villain, who is hungry to get back to the PGA Tour and whose modus operandi is being a thorn in McIlroy’s side. Nothing would make him happier than doing it once more.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Masters spoiler? Patrick Reed chasing Rory McIlroy at Augusta National