The Masters leaderboard
A new name atop the leaderboard at The Masters after Rory McIlroy bounced back from Thursday’s second-round meltdown to produce the lowest round of the day. The Northern Irishman teed off with a double bogey at the 1st but took control with four birdies and an eagle at the 13th. Then came a masterful second nine that included some of the best iron shots of any player this week, including one from the pine straw that didn’t seem to have the chance of finding the surface but found it and made for an incredible eagle.
With a slew of contenders stacked just behind the leaders, this could be a classic Masters weekend with a green jacket at stake. But first, we need to get through Friday’s third round.
Rory McIlroy (-6)
The Northern Irishman was a man on a mission after a disastrous start to his Masters tournament. He ripped off seven birdies in his second-round 68 and threw in an eagle at No. 13, putting him within two strokes of Justin Rose, Bryson DeChambeau and Corey Conners in the lead at Augusta.
Scottie Scheffler (-6)
A bogey-free round for the former champion put him in contention, along with Shane Lowry and Collin Morikawa. He was part of a group that also included Jon Rahm, Joaquin Niemann and LIV Golf recruits Bubba Watson and Tyrrell Hatton.
Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Hideki Matsuyama and Tommy Fleetwood (+1)