By Frank Pingue
AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 12 (Reuters) – Justin Rose, who left the Masters empty-handed a year ago after losing in a playoff for his third runner-up finish, was clinging to a one-shot lead over defending champion Rory McIlroy as the overnight co-leader reached the turn.
Rose, playing two groups ahead of overnight co-leaders McIlroy and Cameron Young, began the day three shots off the lead but covered his first 10 holes at Augusta National in four under to put himself in position for an elusive Green Jacket.
The 45-year-old Englishman began his round with a chip-in birdie at the opening hole to get within two and serve notice he would not go quietly.
Rose shook off a bogey at the par-four third and made the turn having made four birdies over a sizzling five-hole stretch to build a two-shot cushion until McIlroy cut that in half with a birdie at the eighth.
McIlroy, who was struggling with his putter early on and dropped two shots off the pace, refused to back down and made two consecutive birdies starting at the seventh to stay firmly in the mix and covered the first nine holes in even par.
Victory for McIlroy, who has led or co-led after every round this week, would make him only the fourth repeat Masters champion and the first since Tiger Woods claimed back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002.
Young, seeking his first career major, found himself two shots clear atop the leaderboard when disaster struck for McIlroy at the par-three fourth where his playing partner missed the green off the tee and then three-putted from nine feet for a double-bogey.
But Young ended up covering his first nine holes in one-over par and dropped two shots off the pace and into a share of third place with LIV Golf’s Tyrrell Hatton, who had two holes to play.
World number one Scottie Scheffler, a four-time major champion who has won two of the last four Masters and started the day four shots back, was three back after 11 holes and level with birthday boy Russell Henley and Max Homa, who carded a five-under-par 67 to reach the clubhouse at eight under.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Augusta, Georgia, editing by Pritha Sarkar and Christian Radnedge)
Comments