Paul McGinley reflects on a second day of tough conditions at Augusta National and highlights the importance of bouncing back from inevitable mistakes at the Masters. The most impressive thing for me about Rory McIlroys second round was his mental resilience. It was a war of attrition out there, and this years Masters is a very different test to 12 months ago.Last year turned into a shoot-out and we saw record scoring, birdies and eagles all over the place. The conditions were benign, and the course played softer than in previous years.But this week, the wind has got up and its gusting to 20mph, and the course is playing so much more difficult as a result because its much firmer and faster. Everybody is making bogeys, you cant get round Augusta without a couple of mistakes in these conditions. Rory McIlroy showed great mental resilience and birdied three of the last six holes So its a real test of resilience and your ability to bounce back from the bogeys and double-bogeys that every player in the field cannot avoid. Earlier in the week, I spoke about the importance of knowing when to attack and when to hold back. But when Augusta is playing this tough, finding that balance becomes even more vital as every mistake is accentuated.You can still attack 13 and 15 if you get a good drive away, and theres a few holes playing downwind. Players are going into the ninth with wedges, and 14, 17 and 18 are also playing reasonably short.But the first, fourth and fifth have been particularly brutal, and you can go through the whole course and find dangers. You have to accept you are not going to make many birdies, and the chances of making more bogeys than birdies are greater. McIlroy was able to bounce back from his double-bogey at the fourth Theres been a lot of talk about making courses longer because of how far the professionals are hitting it these days - putting a new tee in to lengthen the 13th here has been widely mentioned.But the biggest test for the pros is not length, it is getting to grips with firm greens and fairways. And when you add a swirling breeze like weve had here for two days, those three factors have combined to have a huge effect on the scoring. Thats why only seven players are under par after 36 holes.Rorys second round was all the more impressive considering the conditions and the overall scoring, and his 71 was the joint low round of the day and one of only four sub-par scores. The 13th at Augusta can still be attacked Arnold Palmer once said: The greatest gift you need mentally in this game is the ability to forget. Thats what Rory McIlroy did today. He was two over for his round after a bogey at 11, but he had the mental strength to bounce back with three birdies coming in.When Augusta is like this, you have to accept youre going to make bogeys and you need to go to the next tee with a clear head. Its a lot easier said than done, but having that ability is what separates the great players from the rest.With Rory playing with Jordan Spieth in the final group on Saturday were in for a great weekend, and we could see the course playing a little easier if the forecast is right. The wind is predicted to drop a little, and I would expect the set-up to be friendlier on Sunday in particular. They will probably soften the greens a little and choose pin positions that will yield more birdies and eagles, especially on the back nine. That will create atmosphere and the opportunity for someone to come out of the field and make a run.We should see some more aggressive golf this weekend, and you can catch all the action with myself, Ewen, Butch, Monty, Boxy and Rich Beem on Sky Sports. Also See: McIlroy: Best position in years Monty: Rory the favourite Authentic Grover Stewart Jersey . Unlike last year when nobody got in, there have been estimates of as many as five getting voted in this time around and as few as one, Greg Maddux. Cheap Colts Jerseys Authentic . Now he has a complete game. Scherzer tossed a three-hitter in his 179th career start for his first complete game and Victor Martinez hit his 16th homer to lead the Detroit Tigers a 4-0 win over the Chicago White Sox. http://www.cheapcoltsjerseysauthentic.co...y-unitas-jersey. The stakes were higher, the competition more fierce and the atmosphere was that of a playoff game - something the young, upstart Raptors have five weeks to better prepare themselves for or the result will be eerily similar. Authentic Joe Haeg Jersey .Best moustache: How can we not give this to Lanny McDonald? Check out the duster for yourself. Authentic Ryan Kelly Jersey . "I just think what it does for everybody in life is real simple," said Babcock early on Friday afternoon. "You dont give in. You just keep on keeping on. Is it going to go your way every time? No. But you choose your attitude and how you perform and how hard you dig in." Nearly four years to the day of the 2010 gold medal match in Vancouver, his team dug in with its best effort of these Olympics, snuffing out the high-powered Americans for another opportunity at gold.AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Rodney Stuckey scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half, and the Detroit Pistons beat the New York Knicks for the first time in eight meetings, 92-86 on Tuesday night. Josh Smith added 19 points for the Pistons, who led 71-63 after three quarters and scored the first seven points of the fourth. New York cut the lead to four in the final minute, but the Knicks could never reduce the deficit to one possession. Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 25 points. Greg Monroe had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Detroit, and Andre Drummond added 13 points and 11 boards. New York guard Raymond Felton missed the game because of an injured lower back and left hip area. Beno Udrih started at guard, his first start of the season. Kenyon Martin also got his first start of 2013-14 for the Knicks, giving them some size against Detroits big front line. New York is already without Tyson Chandler because of a broken leg. Neither team led by more than six in the first half. The Pistons were ahead 55-54 before going on a 7-0 run in the thirrd quarter.ddddddddddddSmith made a 3-pointer, and Anthony was called for a technical foul moments later -- after he apparently thought he was fouled on a missed shot. Stuckey made the free throw, and a 3-pointer by Kyle Singler made it 62-54. Stuckey started the fourth quarter with a fadeaway, and after Amare Stoudemire was called for a technical, Stuckeys free throw pushed the lead to 11. Stuckey added a 17-footer, and Drummonds dunk made it 78-63. The Knicks began their rally with seven straight points to cut the deficit back to single digits. It was Detroits first win over the Knicks since March 18, 2011, when the Pistons beat New York 99-95. NOTES: Detroit was short-handed too, with guards Chauncey Billups (knee tendinitis) and Will Bynum (sore left hamstring) both out. ... New York F Metta World Peace missed the game with a sore left knee. It was nine years to the day after he was involved in an infamous brawl in a game at Detroit while a member of the Indiana Pacers. ... Drummond shot an airball on a free throw late in the second quarter. ' ' '