Sports

Not even the rain can stop Rory McIlroy right now

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Here we are again. Here he is again.

Rory McIlroy is in prime position to win another major championship — the fourth of his career and second in a row.

One month removed from winning the British Open and one week removed from winning the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and recapturing his world No. 1 ranking, McIlroy takes a two-shot lead into the weekend at the PGA Championship at Valhalla.

After a day when Tiger Woods (6-over) missed the cut by five shots, which could possibly signal the end of his 2014 season, McIlroy owns the lead at 9-under through two rounds following an impressive 4-under 67 in soggy, rainy conditions Friday.

The No. 1 player in the world is trailed by Jason Day and Jim Furyk (8-under), then Rickie Fowler, Ryan Palmer and Mikko Ilonen at 7-under. Phil Mickelson, who made a late-day charge and eagled the 18th hole, played himself into weekend contention and is 6-under, along with Bernd Wiesberger.

Despite the formidable competition on his heels, though, McIlroy is the hottest player on the world and riding a tidal wave of confidence.

He too, has replaced Woods as — among many other things — the best closer in the game. That came to him after the 2011 Masters, when McIlroy famously blew a four-shot lead entering the final round to lose.

“I went protection mode once in my career, and it was the 2011 Masters [and] that didn’t work out very well,’’ McIlroy said. “I said to myself ‘I’ll never do that again.’ ’’

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Since that Masters, McIlroy has mastered the art of being an aggressive, proficient closer.

“I think I’ve had to learn to be a good front-runner,’’ McIlroy said. “I maybe wasn’t quite comfortable in that position at the start of my career — especially 2011 at the Masters, [where] I was four ahead and I wasn’t quite comfortable in that position.

“It’s taken me a couple of years to grow into that where I’m comfortable, and my mindset has stayed the same since that day at Augusta. If I’m two ahead going into the weekend here, I’m going to try to get to three ahead. If I’m three ahead, I’m going to try to get to four ahead. And if I’m four ahead, I’m going to try to get to five ahead.

“I’m just going to try to keep the pedal down and get as many ahead as possible. That is my mindset whenever I’m leading a tournament.”

This is not good news for his pursuers, because the kid is on a roll. McIlroy, the 2012 PGA Championship winner, is 41-under par in his last 10 competitive rounds.

“With how Rory is playing, it’s going to be tough to beat him,’’ said Day, who will be paired with McIlroy on Saturday. “He looks confident. He’s hitting the ball longer and straighter than pretty much everyone in the field. He could run away with things again. I’m going to try and keep pace.’’

McIlroy, attempting to become the first player to win back-to-back majors since Padraig Harrington won the Open Championship and PGA Championship in 2008, has hit 20-of-28 fairways in the first two rounds and has 27 putts in each of the first two rounds. He had an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys Friday.

He looks more focused and more comfortable than he ever has in his career — even at the end of 2012 after he seized the No. 1 ranking in the world for the first time. McIlroy seemed to enjoy the fruits of his labor back then, jet-setting around the world with is then-girlfriend and then-fiancé, tennis star Caroline Wozniacki.

Since breaking off his engagement with Wozniacki in the spring, McIlroy seems to have streamlined his life, channeling everything to golf — the way Woods once did when golf was all he had.

“I’ve put a little bit more time into my golf and [the jolt in his personal life] refocused me in a way,’’ McIlroy said. “I just immersed myself in my game. Golf is the No. 1 priority to me and while I’m on this run of form, I want to try and keep it going as long as possible.

Hopefully I can do that over the next few years, and hopefully you’ll see golf like this more often from me.’’