After a rocky first round at Augusta, Rory McIlroy rebounded with a bogey-free second round to climb back up the Masters leaderboard. The Northern Irishman moved to six under par and is two shots behind Justin Rose, who held on to the solo lead he took after the first round. Bryson DeChambeau is one shot further back, while Scottie Scheffler, Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa are all tied for third place.
Rose’s 71 in the second round was his lowest score in a round of The Masters to date, although it wasn’t without its challenges. He nearly hit his approach into the patrons on the 13th green before he was forced to play safe, and also found water on the 14th and 15th holes.
He birdied the 16th and 17th to keep his score in check, but was unable to get anything close on the 18th as he pushed his 4-iron approach into the crowds at the edge of the green. It was the kind of mistake that could prove costly in a tournament where every shot counts.
Despite his tumultuous start to the day, Rose remained remarkably calm and said that his focus was solely on winning a Masters title. His consistency over the past four years suggests that he has what it takes to add the green jacket to his impressive major championship haul.
Since the Masters was established by an amateur champion, it’s a tradition that winners of the world’s most prestigious amateur tournaments are invited to join the field for the first two days of action at Augusta National. Players may use children as caddies, and the tournament has an unrivalled reputation for providing a family-friendly atmosphere.