BETHESDA, Maryland, June 18, (Agencies): Rory McIlroy’s history-making start to the 111th US Open became official Saturday morning with the completion of the storm-interrupted second round at Congressional Country Club.
The 22-year-old Northern Ireland prodigy fired a five-under par 66 on Friday to seize a six-stroke lead over South Korean Yang Yong-Eun, McIlroy’s total of 11-under par 131 the lowest 36-hole start in US Open history.
“I’ve played two really good rounds of golf but I know I have to play another two really good rounds of golf if I want to win,” McIlroy said.
“I have to keep it going over the next couple of days. I’m halfway there, but there is still a long way to go.”
A storm that halted play Friday for 42 minutes pushed the conclusion of the second round to Saturday morning, but none of the 21 players who had to return to finish were a threat to approach McIlroy or even Yang.
In all, 72 players made the cut at four-over par 146.
McIlroy is the youngest 36-hole leader at the US Open in 97 years, since Walter Hagen led the 1914 US Open at age 21.

The Ulsterman’s margin matched the largest 36-hole lead in the tournament’s history, the six-stroke edge Tiger Woods enjoyed after two rounds at Pebble Beach in 2000 on his way to a majors-record 15-stroke romp.
That victory began a run of four major triumphs in a row for Woods, the infamous “Tiger Slam”. And with McIlroy contending in his fourth major in a row there are many who already see the rising star as the next Tiger.
But such comparisons might wait until McIlroy wins a major title. He has squandered two great chances with big leads in prior majors and learned from the experiences.
At the Masters two months ago, McIlroy led by four shots entering the final round and by a stroke with nine holes to play before a triple-bogey at the 10th led to a horrid back nine and a final round 80 that left him sharing 15th.
Before that, he matched the lowest round in major golf history with a 63 to start last year’s British Open at St. Andrews only to run afoul of swirling winds that soared his score to a second-round 80.
McIlroy became the first player in US Open history to reach 13-under par at any point in any US Open when he birdied the 16th and 17th holes, surpassing the old low of 12-under set by Gil Morgan in 1992 and matched by Woods in 2000.

And McIlroy did it in only 35 holes.
But he received a wake-up call with a double-bogey on the 18th to end his second round when he was on the verge of the lowest first 36 holes in major golf history.
“We’ll see how it goes over the next couple of days. It’s a big challenge,” McIlroy said. “Every time I keep myself leading in majors, I’m getting more and more comfortable.
“You are going to be comfortable when you are hitting great shots.”
Spain’s Sergio Garcia and Americans Zach Johnson, Brandt Snedeker, Robert Garrigus and Matt Kuchar shared third in the clubhouse on 140, nine adrift of McIlroy.
“If he keeps playing the way he’s playing, we’re all playing for second,” Snedeker said.
No American holds a major title and if none wins this week, it will mark the longest run of majors in the modern era without a US winner.

“The pressure is off me,” Johnson said. “I’m not the one that’s supposed to win it right now.”
On a morning when no rival could mount a challenge, McIlroy grabbed a stranglehold on the event with an amazing 113-yard wedge shot for an eagle from the eighth fairway.
McIlroy launched the ball to the back fringe of the green and watched from the fairway as the ball slowly rolled back 25 feet and into the cup for a two.
Lifting his arms into the air, McIlroy looked skyward and smiled as playing partner Phil Mickelson, a four-time major champion and five-time US Open runner-up, could only applaud in amazement at the feat by his playing partner.
“He’s striking it flawlessly and putted great on the greens,” Mickelson said. “His first two rounds were very impressive.”
Magical McIlroy birdied the par-4 fourth and par-5 sixth and followed his eagle with birdies at 14, 16 and 17. At the par-5 16th, McIlroy drove the green in two, missed a 12-foot eagle bid and settled for a tap-in birdie.

The past 10 majors have been won by 10 different players and seven of the past eight majors have been taken by first-time major winners, streaks McIlroy would continue with a triumph.
British world number one Luke Donald and a mightily relieved Robert Karlsson of Sweden made the U.S. Open cut with no margin to spare on Saturday as five former champions failed to advance.
Twenty-one players were still on the course when play was halted in fading light Friday and by the time they finished on an overcast Saturday morning at Congressional, the cut fell at four-over-par 146 with 72 players qualifying for weekend play.
Englishman Donald made it right on the number after shooting scores of 74 and 72, as did Karlsson who rebounded from an opening 79 with a six-birdie 67.
However, former winners Ernie Els (1994 and 1997), Jim Furyk (2003), Michael Campbell (2005), Geoff Ogilvy (2006) and Angel Cabrera (2007) all missed out.
“I struggled on the back nine both days and that comes down to not hitting enough fairways and not hitting enough greens,” Donald told reporters. “I hit 50 percent of fairways this week and you are always going to struggle on a course like this.

“I’ve got to find something on the weekend and shoot a couple of good rounds and see what happens. Rory (McIlroy) is well ahead but you keep fighting and see what you can do.”
Donald trailed fellow Briton McIlroy by a distant 15 shots.
Karlsson, who was beaten by American Harrison Frazar in a playoff for last week’s St. Jude Classic, progressed to the third round after recording three birdies in his last seven holes.
“I just really wanted to go out and take it like a practice round because you can’t ever practice playing these kinds of golf courses,” the 6-foot-5 (1.95 m) Swede said.
“When I holed a good par putt on 11, I was six-over then and going to seven-over with seven holes to play would not have been much help. That was a good par save.”
United States Ryder Cup players Hunter Mahan and Rickie Fowler, 2009 British Open champion Stewart Cink and Britons Ian Poulter and Justin Rose were also among those who failed to advance.