BULLISH Irish star Rory McIlroy believes he can end the title streak of Adam Scott - and his own year-long drought - after firing himself into contention at the Australian Open.
A day after Scott's record-breaking opening round, McIlroy went on his own birdie blitz to shoot a seven under 65 and move into a share of the lead after his Friday morning round.
As wet and windy conditions grew worse in the afternoon, a battling Scott briefly fell into second before rallying to finish with a two-shot lead, courtesy of a bogey-strewn 70.
The world's second and sixth-ranked stars will go head to head in a dream pairing Saturday, and after it seemed Scott's tournament alone on Thursday, the snakes-and-ladders events of Friday have thrown it wide open.
McIlroy has suffered through a year of poor form and introspection but the peacock strut was back on display after a nine-birdie haul, and the former world No. 1 wasn't afraid to thrown down the gauntlet to Scott.
Asked if he felt he could beat the US Masters champ (prior to Scott's round), McIlroy said: "I feel like I have the game to do that, as long as he doesn't get too far ahead and I'm within striking distance going into the weekend.
"I feel like I can shoot a couple more scores similar to today and have a great chance."
"I feel like I'm playing well. I'm hitting the ball well off the tee and giving myself plenty of chances."
McIlroy credited easier morning conditions than expected and rain-softened greens for his round, but as was the case on day one, Scott and the later groups were buffeted by up to "five club" winds in the afternoon at Royal Sydney.
Though he made seven birdies, the tricky conditions elicited three bogeys and a double-bogey from Scott as well.
"It was really blowing … it was always going to be a day where you have to just hang on," Scott said.
"Bogeys out there easy to come by today, if you were just slightly off. Probably most scorecards would have looked similar this afternoon."
The majority of the afternoon scorecards did, at least. Hampered by a stiff back, Jason Day shot a 74 to finish even and only just avoided the cut. Robert Allenby birdied the last to get to one over and do likewise.
Former Australian Open champions Peter Senior - who shot 81 - and Greg Chalmers weren't so lucky, and both missed out.
Richard Green aced the par 3 sixth on his way to a 66 and finished third on the leaderboard at 9 under, ahead of Australia's dominant Asian Tour star Matt Jones (8 under).
Leigh McKechnie (65) equalled McIlroy for the round of the day to finish in a share of equal fifth in six under; alongside Alistair Presnell, Josh Younger and star amateur Brady Watt.
Geoff Ogilvy turned a day one 74 into a strong 66 yesterday and fifteen-year-old sensation Ryan Ruffels showed his unlimited potential by rallying from a horror first day to shoot a 67 - the sixth best round of the day - and, remarkably, make the cut on debut in the Australian Open.
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