WATCH: McIlroy shows Reed he means business with astonishing approach, Reed responds brilliantly

WOW.

Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed made a dog's dinner of the first hole. Spraying their drives left and right, Reed dropped a shot while McIlroy holed a nerveless par putt to cut the lead to two. The second hole was a different story. Blootering a monstrous drive down the left-side of the fairway, McIlroy sent a towering approach into the heart of the green at the par-5. From 200 yards to four feet, just like that. A sky-shattering heat-seeking missile, McIlroy really meant business. Last night, the four-time major winner said he couldn't wait to show Reed what he's got. Now we know exactly what he meant. Reed came up short with his second and failed to get up and down. His par should have given Rory encouragement but the Northern Irishman missed his tiddler of a putt. It was a birdie, though, and the lead was just one. https://twitter.com/MastersMoments/status/983065841305636864 We can't take our eyes off this. On the third hole, however, McIlroy dropped a shot after a poor approach to the green fell off the front. He couldn't get up and down but Reed drained his birdie putt from the edge to restore the three-shot lead. Reed has stones - we'll give him that! What a response from the Texan. He's one hell of a gutsy competitor. This already such an absorbing battle.