The China Mail - McIlroy, DeChambeau charge as Rose clings to Masters lead

Top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler was also among those producing spectacular afternoon shotmaking in dry and windy conditions as spectator roars cascaded among the Georgia pines.

McIlroy, undone by double bogeys on two of the last four holes Thursday, reeled off three birdies and an eagle on the back nine and made a tense five-foot par putt at 18 to shoot a bogey-free six-under par 66 and stand two adrift of Rose.

"I just had to remind myself I was playing well. I couldn't let two bad holes dictate the 16 good ones," McIlroy said. "To finish bogey-free for today I felt was really important."

The four-time major winner from Northern Ireland can complete a career Grand Slam by winning the Masters as well as capture his first major title since 2014. He has failed in 10 prior attempts to complete the Slam by winning the green jacket.

"I have to remind myself I have the experience," McIlroy said. "Every year I come back to this golf course I feel more and more comfortable. I have to remember 34 of the 36 holes I've played have been good stuff."

England's Rose, who led by three after 18 holes, kept the edge despite a bogey at 17, making four birdies and three bogeys in a one-under par 71 and stand on eight-under 136 after 36 holes.

"In a great position going into the weekend," Rose said.

DeChambeau, who beat McIlroy in a 72nd-hole battle to capture last year's US Open, birdied four of the first eight holes then answered a bogey at the par-three 16th with a 19-foot birdie putt at the 17th and made a testy eight-footer for par at 18 to shoot 68.

"I was just patient. I knew it was going to be a testing windy day," DeChambeau said. "Placed the ball beautifully on greens for the most part. I thought I played some incredible golf.

"I saved par there (at 18) and grinded it out and that's what I was most proud about."

The American, who also won the 2020 US Open, said he made a breakthrough in the round.

"I feel like I found something out there on the course today where I can control the ball better," warned DeChambeau.

Rose, the 2013 US Open and 2016 Rio Olympic champion, was pleased to be part of a world-class leaderboard.

"That's the company that I expect to keep," Rose said. "That's where I've been for a lot of my career. I've been a top-10 player in the world for a decade or more, so this is nice, to be back in that mix 100%."

- Learned from mistakes -

World number two McIlroy, however, was the most electrifying player of the day, starting with a six-foot birdie putt at the par-five second hole after finding trees off the tee. Seven crucial pars followed.

"I had to remind myself not to push too hard too early," McIlroy said. "I feel like I've learned from my mistakes. I've learned not to push too hard on that front nine on Friday."

McIlroy landed approaches to two feet at 10 and five feet at 11 to set up birdies, then blasted an approach at the par-five 13th from pine straw to nine feet from the hole and sank the putt.

"That was good," McIlroy said of the 214-yard approach. "It was good to commit to that putt as well."

McIlroy followed with an incredible par save from trees at 14 and at the par-five 15th, he reached the green in two and two-putted for birdie from 90 feet, his six-foot putt followed by three pars into the clubhouse.

Scheffler was level with McIlroy for third on six-under through nine holes thanks to birdies on the front nine's two par-fives and another at the par-three sixth.

Scheffler, who also won a green jacket in 2022, is trying to join Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo as the only back-to-back Masters champions.

Canada's Corey Conners was at five-under through 12 holes.

A.Sun--ThChM