Rory McIlroy produced the perfect response to his nightmare first round and is in prime position to finally win a green jacket. The Northern Irishman slashed a four-shot deficit to two shots behind leader Justin Rose after carding six birdies and a single bogey on Friday at Augusta National. Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler, Corey Conners and a host of previous major winners are also all within three shots of the lead as they go into Saturday’s final round.
It’s been an exhilarating Masters so far and it is sure to get even better as we enter the final day in Augusta.
Brian Campbell tees off at the par-four 1st with a drive down the right-hand side of the fairway. A slight overcook on his second shot puts him in the bunker to the left of the green but he escapes with an excellent wedge and holes the seven-foot putt for par.
It was a birdie for Rose at the second but McIlroy moved back into the lead with an impressive chip-in at the third. The Northern Irishman then sank an eight-footer at the fourth for another birdie and leads by one over DeChambeau.
The top 50 players, plus ties, advance to the final round at The Masters. This year’s cut line was at two over, the lowest since the tournament moved to Augusta in 1934. It was the seventh consecutive year the Masters has had a low cut line.