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McIlroy battles Rose and Hatton for the Masters lead / Photo: © David Cannon Collection/Getty Images/AFP
McIlroy battles Rose and Hatton for the Masters lead
Defending champion Rory McIlroy battled England's Tyrrell Hatton and Justin Rose for the lead in Friday's second round of the 90th Masters at firm and fast Augusta National.
McIlroy, a five-time major winner from Northern Ireland, sank a six-foot birdie putt at the par-five second hole to seize the solo lead at six-under par.
McIlroy, trying to become only the fourth golfer to capture back-to-back Masters titles, had shared the 18-hole lead with American Sam Burns after firing a five-under-par 67 on Thursday.
Burns was still on five under through seven holes sharing second with Hatton and Rose.
Hatton matched McIlroy atop the leaderboard with birdies at the par-five 15th and par-three 16th, giving him seven birdies and no bogeys on the day as he chased a first major title.
Hatton, who made four birdies on the front nine, landed his approach two feet from the hole at 15 and tapped in for birdie then sank a six-foot birdie putt at the par-three 16th to grab a share of the lead.
Rose, the 2013 US Open winner, dropped his approach to four feet at the par-five 15th and made the putt to share second. He had reeled off three consecutive birdies before a bogey at the par-three 12th after missing the green.
After early frustration, Rose made a 24-foot birdie putt at seven, a 10-footer for birdie at nine, a three-footer at 10 and a four-footer at 11.
McIlroy beat Rose in a playoff last year to complete the career Grand Slam.
Rose began Friday with a bogey after hitting his first tee shot under a right-side tree and missing a 10-foot par putt.
The three-time Masters runner-up also missed seven-foot birdie putts at the par-five second and par-three fourth -- tossing his putter into the air in frustration at the latter -- before his rally.
American Wyndham Clark, the 2023 US Open champion, fired a 68 to hold the clubhouse lead on four-under 140.
"Augusta can sometimes give you some opportunities to make birdies," Clark said. "You find yourself getting into a groove and sometimes you shoot six-, seven-under and today I felt like I could have done that. But I'll take four-under."
World number one Scottie Scheffler, seeking his third Masters victory in five seasons, made bogeys at the fourth and fifth holes to fall back.
His birdies at the par-five eighth and par-four 10th were followed by a bogey at 13 to leave him five adrift of McIlroy.
S.Jackson--SFF
