AUGUSTA, Ga. -- He wasn't stranded between the stately white cabins at Augusta National, not this time. But he certainly could see them from where he was standing.

Remember that strange image? Rory McIlroy, lining up a shot in an impossible spot well off the 10th fairway on Sunday five years ago, about to see his Masters lead evaporate in a brutal collapse.

This time, McIlroy was not far away under a pine tree on the 18th fairway, and the sense of impending doom wasn't quite as pronounced. Still: He had climbed the leaderboard with a brilliant flurry on the back nine. Was he going to throw away another chance to win this thing now?

"Where IS it?" someone in his entourage asked. His father, shaking his head, was puffing away nervously on an electronic cigar. No one was sure, but it didn't look good.

Then, with three fine shots, the concern turned to joy. McIlroy punched out from behind those pines with a low 4 iron, hit a perfect pitch to six feet above the cup, and sank the par putt for a second-round 71 that, given the conditions, felt more like a 65.

And, just like that, we've got ourselves a golf tournament.

In case you needed further proof that the billionaires who run Augusta National control the universe, here it is: The two most dynamic players in golf, McIlroy and defending champion Jordan Spieth, will tee off together on Saturday with a chance to make the 80th Masters the first head-to-head duel in what could become a fantastic rivalry.

"I'd rather be playing with someone less threatening to be honest," Spieth said with a laugh when his round ended, but sorry, kid, the rest of us got exactly what we wanted.

Unlike a year ago when Spieth pulled away from the field in the second round, he actually lost ground on Friday. He shot his first over-par round in nine Masters starts, a 74 that dropped him to 4 under par. McIlroy is just one back now, and yes, he recognizes the significance of the Saturday pairing.

"Of course, it's great for the game," McIlroy said. "But whenever I'm out there playing and competing, that's absolutely not what I should be thinking about. I really need to focus on me and focus on everything I need to do well to hopefully be sitting up here on Sunday with one of those on."

He was pointing his thumb at the Augusta National member seated to his right, who, of course, was wearing a green jacket. Spieth has his, winning two majors last summer and nearly winning two more to take McIlroy's spot as the top-ranked golfer in the world.

Spieth has since given that spot up to Jason Day, who is sitting six shots off the lead at 1 over par. It is expected to be blustery again on Saturday, so whoever is leading at the end of the day will be the one who manages to minimize his mistakes under wicked conditions.

On Friday, that was McIlroy. He climbed to 4 under with a pair of early birdies but quickly gave that back. He was even through 12 holes and had gotten there the hard way, with six birdies, six bogeys, an eagle and a double bogey through his first 30 holes.

That's when he rallied again. He made three birdies in four holes, curving a 39-foot putt into the cup on the 16th hole for the day's biggest roar. The galleries, now five deep around the green, could sense something that special was happening.

Watch @McIlroyRory make a 39-foot birdie putt on No. 16 to move into solo second. #themasters https://t.co/BBE7JvtXLy — Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 8, 2016

"It's up there," McIlroy said when asked where this round would rank among his best here. It became all that more impressive watching how Spieth, who had climbed to 8 under early in the day, limped home.

He'll still have a one-shot advantage when the day begins, and the opportunity to stare down his chief rival. If you're looking for something similar here, try 1965, when Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer were tied for the Masters lead after 36 holes (and, for that matter, Gary Player too). Nicklaus pulled away with a brilliant third round to win his second of six titles.

This is Spieth, the 22-year-old Texan, vs. McIlroy, the 26-year-old from Northern Ireland. This is a duo with six majors already in their young careers and a couple decades to add to the total playing together for the first time, but hopefully not the last time, in the weekend of a major.

If Spieth wins, he'll re-establish himself as the premier player in the biggest events and gain a major on his best contemporary. If McIlroy wins, he'll become just the sixth player to complete the career Grand Slam, an incredible accomplishment given that he's just entering the prime of his career.

"I'm really trying to block that out," McIlroy said. "It's another golf tournament I'm trying to win. I'm trying to beat guys on this leaderboard that I've beaten before. I need to take confidence from that and know that I've been in this position before. I know it's a very big weekend for me. I know that."

A big weekend for him, and given the man he'll be playing with, maybe an even bigger weekend for golf. Bring it on.

Steve Politi may be reached at spoliti@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevePoliti. Find NJ.com on Facebook.