It seems like Byeong Hun An doesn’t believe in jinxes.
“Congrats to Rory Mcilroy [sic] for winning back to back Masters,” An, 34, said in a Friday, April 10 post via X, days before the iconic tournament is scheduled to conclude.
The message, instead, came after McIlroy’s historic first two rounds at the 2026 Masters Tournament.
McIlroy enters the weekend shooting 12-under-par, which is good for a six stroke lead — the largest in Masters history through 36 holes.
The Masters reigning champion Rory McIlroy spent the first two rounds of the 2026 tournament paired with 18-year-old Mason Howell — and left the young golfer with some sound advice. “Hopefully he saw that you don’t have to be perfect to shoot good scores,” McIlroy said to reporters after the second round of The Masters […]
Even with the comfortable lead, An’s congratulatory message comes just halfway through the tournament, with another 36 holes left to play. The tournament continues on Saturday, April 11, and wraps up on Sunday, April 12.
“Lol. No you didn’t!” commented sportscaster Chick Hernandez on An’s post.
An is not competing in this year’s Masters tournament and currently plays for LIV Golf, a direct competitor of the PGA Tour.
With two rounds left to play at the Masters, McIlroy — the reigning champion — is far from locked into the top spot. The largest blown lead in Masters history came in 1996, when Greg Norman lost a six shot lead in the final round.
Rory McIlroy Andrew Redington/Getty Images
McIlroy himself has been susceptible to unlikely collapses, taking a one stroke lead into the final round of the 2011 Masters before shooting 80 (+4) on the last 18 holes, finishing tied for 15th.
The five-time major champion became the sixth golfer to achieve a career Grand Slam with his championship in the 2025 Masters. The golf Grand Slam includes the Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and the British Open.
What does the most exclusive dinner in sports look like? How about wagyu filet mignon, a $50,000-plus wine tab and sticky toffee pudding so good that a legendary golfer couldn’t stop eating it? Welcome to the Masters Champions Dinner — and Rory McIlroy just threw one for the ages. Every year, the reigning Masters champion […]
McIlroy doesn’t seem to have missed a beat since last year’s win at Augusta National.
“I’ve always felt like this golf course can let you get on runs if you allow it,” McIlroy told reporters after the second round on Friday. “I knew I had some chances coming in when I was standing on the 12th tee, but I didn’t think I’d birdie six of the last seven. But it just shows what you can do around here.”
He continued, “I’ve certainly had times where I’ve felt in the zone or in that flow state or whatever you want to call it. Yeah, maybe this afternoon was one of those times. … I definitely find a sense of flow in those last few holes. The only way I can describe it is everything you see or any situation you come across, you can find a positive in it.”
McIlroy tees off for the third round on Saturday, April 11, at 2:50 p.m. ET, looking to continue his push for back to back titles.