Rory McIlroy has maintained his lead at the Honda Classic, although has seen the margin of his advantage over the chasing pack whittled down to just one shot by Zimbabwean Brendon De Jonge.

McIlroy shot a 66 yesterday to add to the 63 he carded in Thursday’s opening round. The Co. Down man is on 11 under par as he goes into the weekend.

McIlroy had a shaky start to yesterday’s round

Rory McIlroy might have walked off last year but for much of yesterday it looked as though he was about to turn the Honda Classic into another of his triumphal processions.

So comfortable is the 24-year old Co Down man with his game again – he reckons he hasn’t hit it as well since he won the US PGA and two FedEx Cup events in a magical four-week spell 18 months ago – that he looks all but unbeatable on a demanding PGA National track that is tailor-made for his high-octane game.

The Holywood star marked the first anniversary of the meltdown by coming back from a sloppy start to add a sublime 66 to his opening 63 to take the clubhouse lead on 11-under-par 129.

Bogeys at the eleventh and twelfth (McIlroy’s third and fourth holes of the day) took the sheen off Thursday’s 63 but that setback proved to be temporary as birdies followed at sixteen, eighteen, three, four, five and seven.

De Jonge is one shot back following a 64, that could have been lower were it not for two late bogeys. De JOnge was seven under through the first 14 holes but bogeys on his fifteenth and eighteenth holes dropped him back behind McIlroy.

American Russel Henley is one shot further back, with Lee Westwood and Scotland’s Russel Knox tied for third on 7 under.