McIlroy's Courage: Dramatic Transformation, Breathing Hot Air into Justin Rose's Top Position

Justin Rose continues to lead after round 2 of The Masters.

Justin Rose continues to lead

Overnight rain softened the surface of Augusta National, creating ideal playing conditions for the second round of the Masters, and many of the world's top golfers took advantage of the opportunity to rise.

After a stellar opening round, first-round leader Justin Rose faltered in the second round. Rose shot a 1-under 71 - a decent result - but there were too many bogeys mixed in with a few birdies.

However, the 44-year-old British golfer is still leading with a total score of -8, one stroke ahead of formidable names following closely behind such as Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy.

DeChambeau, a two-time major champion, continued his impressive form. After a 69 (-3) in the first round, he finished the second round with a 68 (-4), now just one stroke behind Rose.

Meanwhile, after consecutive double-bogeys on the final holes and dropping to T27 after round 1, Rory McIlroy completely transformed on the second day of competition. With a round of 66 (-6), the Northern Irish golfer rose to T3, now only 2 strokes behind the lead.

Sharing after the second round, Rose expressed excitement about the fierce competition ahead: "This is the group I've always wanted to be in, and it's also the place I've worked hard to get a position throughout my career. I've been in the world's Top 10 for over a decade. And it's great to be back in this game, still in this form," Rose said emotionally.

McIlroy is back in full force.

Open opportunity with two remaining rounds

McIlroy and DeChambeau are leading the group of stars who still have a chance to conquer the legendary Green Jacket.

McIlroy's ambition to win his first Masters title and complete his Grand Slam collection seemed to have vanished after a disastrous first round.

After his spectacular second round performance, McIlroy revealed how he recovered, a very ordinary but meaningful moment: “When I left the course after the first round, I tried to leave everything behind. I rushed back to see my daughter Poppy, before she went to bed. It was really great,” McIlroy said. “I think that's something I haven't had in the last few years - to go home and put golf aside. I think I did a really good job of recovering.”

DeChambeau is playing steadily.

Also participating in this exciting race is Bryson DeChambeau – the star of LIV Golf. After a 69 (-3) in the first round, the 31-year-old golfer continued his steady performance with a 68 (-4) round, currently only 1 stroke behind Justin Rose and ranked 2nd on the leaderboard.

“I always say, to win, you need a little bit of luck and a lot of skill. I feel like my skills are the same, maybe even better in some aspects,” DeChambeau said confidently about conquering golf’s biggest title. “I’m going to give it my all, and whatever happens, happens. Whatever the result is, I’ll accept it. Of course, winning would be great, but the important thing is to keep putting myself in positions like this.”

Besides McIlroy and DeChambeau, the rankings are witnessing fierce competition between many big names. Corey Conners (Canada) is in T3 position with -6.

Many other prominent names such as Tyrell Hatton, Matt McCarty, Shane Lowry and world number one golfer Scottie Scheffler are sharing the 5th position on the rankings.

Scheffler dropped to joint fifth place.

Scheffler struggles with instability

After finishing round 1 without any mistakes, hitting a bogey free (-4), world number 1 Scheffler is in an unfamiliar position - T5 and 3 strokes from the top - after an inconsistent round 2. The 28-year-old golfer made 4 bogeys in the last 9 holes. At hole 18, Scheffler's shot hit the magnolia trees, forcing him to kneel to hit the ball back to the fairway.

“Golf is a strange game. Things change every day. Yesterday I felt sharp, today I didn’t,” Scheffler said. “The great thing about this course is that it’s challenging. When it’s windy like today, you really have to manage your expectations and keep a cool head. Sometimes I do well, sometimes I don’t.”

Scheffler is aiming to become the first golfer to win The Masters two years in a row since Tiger Woods in 2002, and his journey at Augusta this year will not be easy.

Trong Dat

Source: https://tienphong.vn/ban-linh-mcilroy-lot-xac-ngoan-muc-pha-hoi-nong-vao-ngoi-dau-cua-justin-rose-post1733054.tpo