RORY MCILROY PRODUCED a strong finish to his second round at the Masters in Augusta as Jordan Spieth saw his lead disappear during a difficult Friday.
The defending champion, so seamless on Thursday, found the going extremely tough and had to make do with a two-over par 74, leaving him at -4 for the tournament.
The world number three, meanwhile, is perfectly-placed – one shot further back, heading into a crucial Saturday.
McIlroy — who went into the clubhouse last night on -2, four shots adrift of Spieth — struggled at times today, carding two bogeys and a double bogey which overshadowed a good start that saw him birdie the second and third holes.
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By the 11th, the 26-year-old had dropped back to level-par, while Spieth was -6. However, McIlroy closed out his round with three birdies — including a 39-foot putt on the 16th — to finish for the day on -1 and -3 for the tournament.
It wasn’t such a good day for Shane Lowry, who dropped four shots following an impressive opening round which left him just a couple of strokes off the summit of the leaderboard.
It was a mixed bag today for the Offaly man, whose round included three birdies, five bogeys and a double-bogey, leaving him at level-par for the tournament.
Spieth started brilliantly with a birdie at the first and the fourth but endured a miserable time at the fifth, carding a double-bogey six.
It set the tone for the remainder of his round with any momentum immediately eradicated by an error or two.
There was a birdie at 8 but it was followed by successive bogeys at 9 and 10. He kept up his solid performances at the par-five holes by grabbing another birdie at 15 but bogeyed at 16 and again at 17.
Still, under some intense pressure, he kept his nerve and holed from ten feet to keep par at 18.
It all meant he finished on +2 – his first ever over-par round at the Masters – and -4 for the tournament.
McIlroy is in second place on the leader-board with New Zealander Danny Lee and Scott Piercy one shot further back on -2.
Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke will both miss the weekend. With +5 the projected cut, McDowell finished at +9, while Clarke is +16 following a round of 84 which included five bogeys and four double-bogeys.
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McIlroy's monster putt from 39 feet puts him back in contention as Spieth's lead disintegrates
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RORY MCILROY PRODUCED a strong finish to his second round at the Masters in Augusta as Jordan Spieth saw his lead disappear during a difficult Friday.
The defending champion, so seamless on Thursday, found the going extremely tough and had to make do with a two-over par 74, leaving him at -4 for the tournament.
The world number three, meanwhile, is perfectly-placed – one shot further back, heading into a crucial Saturday.
McIlroy — who went into the clubhouse last night on -2, four shots adrift of Spieth — struggled at times today, carding two bogeys and a double bogey which overshadowed a good start that saw him birdie the second and third holes.
By the 11th, the 26-year-old had dropped back to level-par, while Spieth was -6. However, McIlroy closed out his round with three birdies — including a 39-foot putt on the 16th — to finish for the day on -1 and -3 for the tournament.
It wasn’t such a good day for Shane Lowry, who dropped four shots following an impressive opening round which left him just a couple of strokes off the summit of the leaderboard.
It was a mixed bag today for the Offaly man, whose round included three birdies, five bogeys and a double-bogey, leaving him at level-par for the tournament.
Spieth started brilliantly with a birdie at the first and the fourth but endured a miserable time at the fifth, carding a double-bogey six.
It set the tone for the remainder of his round with any momentum immediately eradicated by an error or two.
There was a birdie at 8 but it was followed by successive bogeys at 9 and 10. He kept up his solid performances at the par-five holes by grabbing another birdie at 15 but bogeyed at 16 and again at 17.
Still, under some intense pressure, he kept his nerve and holed from ten feet to keep par at 18.
It all meant he finished on +2 – his first ever over-par round at the Masters – and -4 for the tournament.
McIlroy is in second place on the leader-board with New Zealander Danny Lee and Scott Piercy one shot further back on -2.
Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke will both miss the weekend. With +5 the projected cut, McDowell finished at +9, while Clarke is +16 following a round of 84 which included five bogeys and four double-bogeys.
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Augusta Darren Clarke Golf Graeme McDowell Masters 2016 Rory McIlroy Shane Lowry The Masters