By Dave Shedloski

Bethesda, Md. - Whatever happens over the final 36 holes of this 111th U.S. Open, it belongs to Rory McIlroy.

That doesn't mean he's destined to win. But the young man from Northern Ireland already has put his personal stamp on it.

He breaks it, and he owns it. He continues to break records, and he'll own an opulent piece of history.

After another impeccable round at Congressional Country Club Friday morning, a 66 marred only by a double-bogey 6 at the final hole, McIlroy plows ahead towards capturing his first major victory with a six-stroke lead over former PGA Champion Y.E. Yang. McIlroy stands at 11-under par 131. Yang, after a 69, is at 137.

Former Masters champion Zach Johnson joins Matt Kuchar, Sergio Garcia, Brandt Snedeker and Robert Garrigus in an adjacent zip code with the next best aggregate total of 2-under 140.

McIlroy's lead ties the record margin after 36 holes set by Tiger Woods in 2000 at Pebble Beach. Woods, injured and not present at Congressional, but seemingly here in spirit, went on to win by 15 in a mesmerizing display of dominance that reverberated back to the game's heritage and historical mist. But even Woods, who has won three U.S. Open titles, never traversed this terrain.

It took a mere 26 holes for McIlroy to reach double figures under par, the fastest in championship history. Before his sloppy final hole, his card was unblemished and his lead had ballooned to 10 strokes.

"I hope he keeps doing what he's been doing and keeps playing great golf because it makes us all want to beat him," said Snedeker, the 2003 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion who earlier this year won The Heritage. "That being said, we've still got 36 holes to go, so we'll see what happens."

If McIlory keeps doing what he's doing, he'll have beaten everyone and further bludgeoned the record books.

But he is only halfway to his personal Holy Grail, and there can be little comfort in that. Too many holes are left, too much danger lurking on Congressional's Blue Course. Try walking 10,000 miles and knowing you are only halfway there.

Yeah, doesn't sound all that swell when you think of it like that.

Six strokes is a big lead. But, then, it isn't. Greg Norman lost six shots in the final round of the 1996 Masters. Arnold Palmer saw a seven-stroke lead evaporate over the final nine holes of the 1966 U.S. Open at The Olympic Club, and he lost to Billy Casper. Jean Van de Velde shed three strokes on the last hole of the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie in Scotland.

No, there is still much that should concern McIlroy, including his own personal history, like his final-round 80 that cost him the Masters two months ago. In fact, his only two scores in the 80s on tour came in majors, the other in the second round of last year's British Open at St. Andrews after he tied the major championship scoring record with an opening 63.

But on the flipside, everyone chasing him has the same two problems: The leader and his heretofore scintillating exploits, and a Blue Course that isn't receptive to an abundance of red numbers, McIlroy's performance notwithstanding.

"You can't be aggressive out here, only in the super green light situation because there's a couple flags out there that you can't even shoot at," Garrigus said when asked how he might try to catch the rabbit, McIlory. "Even with the greens soft, it's just stupid to do that. You don't want a disaster on your card."

"The way I look at it," added Johnson, "the pressure is off me. I'm not the one that's supposed to win it right now. I'm not saying I don't want to lead, but I don't know how many shots he's winning by. I'm going to play my game. I can't control the leaderboard. I certainly can't control what Rory is doing or anybody. They're just numbers. It's completely irrelevant at this point. I think his score becomes relevant when you're talking about the last three or four holes of the golf tournament."

Whatever transpires today could heavily impact the outcome. The third round is considered moving day in the life of any tournament. Either McIlroy moves closer to winning the U.S. Open by further separating himself from the competition, or we see the scores clump together to set up a Sunday shootout.

But given what we have already witnessed, it's Rory McIlroy's championship to win. It's his to lose. It's already his for all time.

Dave Shedloski is an Ohio-based freelance writer whose work has previously appeared on USGA websites.