Rose maintains lead at Augusta despite pressure from McIlroy and DeChambeau

(AFP) England's Justin Rose maintained the solo lead at the Augusta Masters on Friday in a second round that saw contenders such as Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau move into the top spots.

Rose, a two-time runner-up at this iconic Grand Slam golf tournament, started his second round with a three-stroke lead over American Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion.

Without the brilliance of the opener, Rose completed the course in 71 strokes, one under par, and remained at the top with a cumulative 136 (-8).

The English player, and the 2013 US Open champion, faces the decisive weekend with a one stroke lead over American DeChambeau, the most consistent so far of the candidates for the green jacket.

"It's a great position heading into the weekend," said Rose, accepting the duel that awaits him against the best players on the circuit.

"That's the company I hope to keep," he stressed. "That's where I've been for much of my career. I've been a top-10 player in the world for a decade or more, so it's nice to be back in that group."

The big climb of the day came from Rory McIlroy, who moved to within two strokes of the lead thanks to a sensational 66 (-6) card at an Augusta National that was faster and windier than Thursday because of overnight rain.

The Northern Irishman rebounded from the blow he suffered in the final part of his opening round, when he went out of focus with a pair of double bogeys on the last four holes.

"I had to remind myself that I was playing well. I couldn't let two bad holes dictate the 16 good ones," McIlroy said.

The former world number one has been chasing a Masters win for a decade, which would complete a highly unusual full house of victories in all four Grand Slam events.

"I have the experience. Every year I come back to this course I feel more and more comfortable," remarked McIlroy, who is tied for third with Canada's Corey Conners.

Cabrera, out of the cut

Scottie Scheffler, winner of the trophy in 2022 and 2024, dropped to fifth but remained three strokes off the lead at -5.

Under the most intense wind of the day, Scheffler experienced a round full of ups and downs, with six birdies and five bogeys, the last of them on the 18th hole after sending his tee shot straight into the pines at Augusta National.

The world number one is still in with a chance of joining the legendary Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo as the only players to have back-to-back Masters titles on Sunday.

On the other hand, Spain's Jon Rahm, champion in 2023, could not climb too many positions with a poor card of 71 strokes (-1) that left him in 40th place with a cumulative +2, just one over the cut line.

"It didn't go well," acknowledged the former world number one. "I had a lot of bad shots and a lot of mistakes when I was in a good position. I have a big mountain to climb to have a chance tomorrow or Sunday."

Chile's Joaquin Niemann also narrowly missed the cut by finishing in 74 strokes (+2) and a cumulative 146 (+2).

Colombia's Nico Echavarria left a better impression and earned a spot for the weekend with a 70-stroke card (-2) that placed him 22nd.

A number of former champions took the starting gate, including Americans Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson; Spain's Sergio Garcia, competing in the 100th major of his career and Argentina's Angel Cabrera.

The veteran player from Cordoba sank a second round of 80 strokes (+8) at the close of his controversial return to Augusta, where he was making his comeback after spending two years in prison for domestic violence.