The Masters leaderboard is moving fast, and the chase for the green jacket is truly underway at Augusta National. Justin Rose holds a one-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau going into the weekend, with Rory McIlroy and Corey Conners trailing closely. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the drama at this year’s tournament.
Rose was a big mover Friday. He hit his stride early in the round and had a chance to push his lead to three shots through 12 holes, but bogeyed No. 13. He was able to regroup and shoot an eight-under 66 in the afternoon, which gave him a comfortable cushion going into the final two days of the Masters.
McIlroy is a close second, and he’s tied with DeChambeau through 14 holes after both players posted six-under rounds Friday. But he’s battling back bogeys on the front nine and double-bogeys on Nos. 10 and 12, which could prove costly when it comes to winning a fourth major championship.
Ludvig Aberg is another big mover at a tournament that features a ton of talent in the top 15. The Swedish golfer finished with a seven-under 65, which tied him with McIlroy through 15 holes. He had a bogey on the par-five 18th but made birdies on Nos. 13 and 16 to get within striking distance of the leaders. As of Friday morning, Nicolai Hojgaard was the last player on the leaderboard who had completed his first nine holes.