"I played really good golf (Thursday) and I wasn't going to let two bad holes sort of dictate the narrative for the rest of the week," McIlroy said.

It began with a dart -- a stretch that could ultimately redefine McIlroy's week and erase a horrendous 30-minute window Thursday evening where he carded two double bogeys that moved the 35-year-old from 4 under to even par, from flawless to flawed. From the first page of the leaderboard to among the masses on page Nos. 3.

As has been the case for more than a decade now, Rory McIlroy arrives at Augusta National one win away from joining golfing royalty.