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

Rose, who led by three after 18 holes, made four birdies and three bogeys to shoot 71, leaving the 44-year-old Englishman on eight-under 136 after 36 holes.

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

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, who shares third on 138 with Canada's Corey Conners, would complete a career Grand Slam by winning the Masters and capturing his first major title since 2014.

He has failed in 10 prior bids to complete the Slam by taking 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."

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 tricky 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," he warned.

Top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler, playing in the windiest conditions, had four bogeys and three birdies on the back nine to shoot 71 and share fifth on 139.

At 18, Scheffler found left bushes off the tee, went over the green on his third and made bogey to fall three behind Rose.

"Definitely the winds were up this afternoon, which made it pretty challenging," Scheffler said. "To get in at one-under felt good. Didn't have my A-game but managed to stay in the tournament."

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

England's Tyrrell Hatton, who had five birdies in a nine-hole stretch through 15, moved within one of Rose but three-putt bogeys at 16 and 17 left him on 70 and in the 139 pack with Scheffler, Ireland's Shane Lowry and American Matt McCarty.

“Naturally disappointed,” Hatton said. “I have four dropped shots and probably three out of the four shouldn't really have happened.”

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

"That's the company that I expect to keep," Rose said. "This is nice, to be back in that mix."

- Learned from mistakes -

World number two McIlroy, however, was the most electrifying player, starting with a six-foot birdie putt at the second 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 his second shot at the par-five 13th from pine straw to nine feet and sank the eagle putt.

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

McIlroy added an amazing par save from trees at 14 and a two-putt birdie from 90 feet at 15.

C.Smith--ThChM