Rory McIlroy surges into second place at the WGC-Cadillac Championship with a stunning seven-under round of 65

No wonder they say what a difference a day can make. Rory McIlroy was, quite simply, a golfer transformed on Friday, breezing round the difficult Doral layout in just 65 blows to play his full part in an electrifying second round at the WGC-Cadillac Championship.

From 33 destructive putts on Thursday, he needed just 23 on this occasion to get his season firmly back on track. Before the round, former Ryder Cup skipper Paul McGinley had likened McIlroy to a top football team who gave away too many goals.

Well, to continue the analogy, he gave away a silly one with a bogey at the second before bursting the onion bag with a veritable hatful thereafter. It was positively Messi-esque.

Rory McIlroy played a full part in an electrifying second round at the WGC-Cadillac Championship 

And what a leaderboard we have in store going into the weekend. Speaking of golfers reborn, the halfway leader is Australian Adam Scott, who ended a two-year drought with a victory at the Honda Classic last week and who now holds a two shot advantage on this occasion over McIlroy and another gifted shotmaker, Dustin Johnson. 

Then, in fourth spot a further shot back, comes the gritty English fighter, Danny Willett. What a tournament, therefore, this has become to win.

McIlroy had sparked plenty of comment with his surprise decision to go to a left below right putting method on the eve of this event, for the first time in eight years. During the first round it was the same old, same old, as his imperious ball striking yielded little reward. When he missed a short one yesterday at the second hole with a tentative jab, you feared for what would happen next.

The turning point came as early as the fourth, when he missed the green at this difficult par three and left himself a tricky 7ft putt for par.

Would it have been a different story if he hadn't knocked that one in confidently?

The moment it disappeared, McIlroy seemed to gain a buoyancy to his stride. 

He single putted each of the next four greens as well, and all of them for birdies. At the 11th he holed from 10ft for par and then another from similar length at the 12th for a further birdie. 

By his side world number one Jordan Spieth looked completely demoralised, as he shot 72 having holed nothing. 

It was as if McIlroy had turned into Spieth on the greens, and Spieth into McIlroy.

McIlroy had sparked plenty of comment with his surprise decision to go to a left below right putting method

'There has been a lot of good stuff in there this year, it was just a case of eradicating all the errors, and I did a good job of that today,' said a bubbling McIlroy. 'The putts from inside 10ft had been missing but I holed them today and that's the difference between shooting rounds of 71 and turning them into 65s. I am very excited now to be in the mix and really looking forward to the weekend.'

Who isn't, given the plethora of flair players who are in touch? Their number also include two players with five Masters titles between them in Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson while Englishman Paul Casey is tied seventh after a 68.

Two more rising Englishmen, Andy Sullivan and Chris Wood are tied 12th in this elite field event and showing just why they are so highly-rated. 

McIlroy tees off on the second hole in the second round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship 

Adam Scott, who ended a two-year drought with a victory at the Honda Classic, is leading the pack in Doral