Rory McIlroy Shoots Record 11-Under on First 36 Holes at U.S. Open, But Can He Hang On?

Northern Ireland's own Rory McIlroy had quite the first 36 holes at the U.S. Open. He officially can now be mentioned in the same breath as the great (and injured) Tiger Woods when it comes to great U.S. Open starts.

After Friday, McIlroy stood at 11-under, with a six shot lead over Y.E. Yang, his partner for Saturday. McIlroy was incredible, hitting green after green and sinking eagle and birdie putts. Just check out this gem at the eighth hole Friday.

The last person to have a six-shot lead through 36 holes in the U.S. Open was Woods 11 years ago. You might remember that Woods won the Open that year by a remarkable 15 strokes. McIlroy has a chance to have a similar finish if he can stay consistent over the weekend.

But that is the key question when it comes to McIlroy: Will he be consistent? Will he hang on?

Just two months ago, McIlroy led by four shots going into the final round at the Masters. He had an epic collapse that Sunday in April, shooting an unforgivable 80. Luckily, McIlroy knows that this thing isn't over yet.

"It's been two very, very good days of golf," McIlroy said Friday. "I put myself in a great position going into the weekend. But I know more than probably anyone else what can happen. So I've got to stay really focused and try and finish this thing off."

McIlroy, only 22, is considered one of the best golfers in the world. He is currently ranked No. 8, and even had the top ranking at one point. But if he wants to truly be considered elite and win his first Major Championship, he has to do something he hasn't proven he can do: hang on. Stay tuned