AUGUSTA: Justin Rose clung to a one-stroke lead after firing a one-under par 71 in Friday`s second round of the 89th Masters, with reigning US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy charging after him.

Rose stood on eight-under 136 after 36 holes at Augusta National with DeChambeau one stroke adrift through 12 holes after four birdies in his first eight.

Four-time major winner McIlroy, however, was the most electrifying with birdies at 10 and 11, a nine-foot eagle putt at the par-five 13th and an incredible par save from trees at 14 to stand on five-under.

McIlroy, who found only five of the first 14 fairways, had stumbled late with two double bogeys in Thursday`s last four holes.

It was a bitter blow to the world number two from Northern Ireland, who needs a Masters victory to complete a career Grand Slam.

Rose began the day with a three-stroke edge after matching his Masters career low with a 65 on Thursday, and the 44-year-old Englishman patiently took his opportunities in round two.

Rose, the 2013 US Open winner and 2016 Rio Olympic champion, blasted out of a bunker to 14 feet at the par-five second and made the birdie putt, but came up short of the fifth green and made bogey.

Rose responded with a five-foot birdie putt at the parfive eighth and sank a four-foot birdie putt at the parthree 12th to reach nine-under.

DeChambeau sank a seven-foot birdie putt at the second, holed out from a bunker from 36 feet at the par-three fourth and made an eight-foot birdie putt at the fifth to ignite his charge.

DeChambeau two-putted from 18 feet for birdie at the eighth to reach seven-under and, when Rose made bogey at 14 after missing the green with his approach, moved within one stroke of the lead.

Rose answered the challenge with a seven-foot birdie putt at the par-three 16th but found a bunker on his approach at the par-4 17th and made bogey, only to close with a tension-packed 13-foot par putt at 18 tostay in the lead.

Meanwhile McIlroy blasted his approach at the parfive 13th from the pine straw to nine feet and sank his eagle putt as the crowd roared with delight in the day`s highlight.

South Korea`s Im Sung-jae opened and closed the front nine with back-to-back birdies and was five-under through 15 holes.

Canada`s Corey Conners birdied the second to reach five-under after six holes.

American Matt McCarty, a Masters rookie, opened double bogey-bogey then battled back, closing the front nine with four birdies and adding four more before a closing bogey to finish on 68 and stand on five-under 139.

Sweden`s Ludvig Aberg, a Masters runner-up last year in his major debut, had two birdies and two bogeys to remain on four-under after 14 holes.

Overnight rain softened Augusta National with cloudy skies and windy conditions dominating the afternoon as top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler birdied the second to reach five-under.

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 and match Nicklaus as the only players to capture three green jackets in a fouryear span.

World number four Collin Morikawa, a two-time major winner, remained on level par after parring the first.

Third-ranked Xander Schauffele, the 2024 PGA Championship and Open Championship winner, was at two-under overall through 12 holes.-AFP