Justin Rose remained the man to catch at Augusta National as Rory McIlroy battled to reignite his own bid to win the Masters and complete the career grand slam.
Rose began the second round with a three-shot lead and quickly extended his advantage with a birdie on the par-five second after getting up and down from a greenside bunker.
The former Olympic champion maintained that advantage in unorthodox fashion on the par-three fourth after his skied tee shot came up 50 yards short of the green, a superb pitch to five feet allowing him to escape with a par.
Justin Rose birdies No. 2 to extend his lead to four. #themasters pic.twitter.com/INzrkuXrPE
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2025
Rose, who finished runner-up to Jordan Spieth in 2015 and lost a play-off to Sergio Garcia in 2017, was unable to repeat the feat on the fifth after driving into a fairway bunker, but bounced back with a birdie on the eighth.
At eight under par Rose enjoyed a three-shot lead over Ryder Cup team-mate Ludvig Aberg and US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, with McIlroy four strokes further back.
An opening 72 meant it was the seventh consecutive year McIlroy had started round two six or more shots off the pace, with just one of the last 19 Masters champions – Garcia – being more than four shots behind after round one.
Only two men in history have come from seven behind after 18 holes to win, Nick Faldo in 1990 and Tiger Woods in 2005.
Second round is brewing. #themasters pic.twitter.com/CaH1mRAQaI
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2025
To make matters worse, McIlroy had been primed to break 70 in the first round at Augusta National for just the third time in 17 attempts when he reached four under par with a two-putt birdie on the 13th.
However, the world number two missed from short range for another birdie on the next and then ran up a double bogey on the 15th after chipping from over the green into the water at the front.
McIlroy also double-bogeyed the 17th after hitting his approach over the green and three-putting from 20 feet following a clumsy chip.
The Northern Irishman needed a fast start on Friday to get back into contention and birdied the second despite having to pitch out from the base of a tree following a wayward drive.
