Justin Rose in the hunt as Masters poised for thrilling weekend

KISS BY A ROSE: Justin Rose plays a shot from the 11th hole tee box. Pic: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

The leaderboard at The Masters continues to set up a blockbuster weekend as Wyndham Clark, Justin Rose and Tyrrell Hatton have all played themselves into contention.

After losing out in a playoff to Rory McIlroy last year, Rose improved on his opening day 70 to move to five-under for the tournament. The 45-year-old, who has had three runner-up finishes here, isn’t using 2025’s heartbreak as fuel.

“Not really, if I'm honest. It is the obvious, of course I want to win this tournament. I don't really need to try any harder; know what I mean?

“I just think the experience in that is probably trying harder ain't going to help me. So that is probably the dance I'm doing with myself. I know the intrinsic motivation is there. It's about execution, and typically when you play your best golf, you are always lighting it up rather than getting more intense.”

Rose reeled off three consecutive birdies before a bogey on the par-3 12th.

“I feel good with where I'm at,” he said.

“That's all I know. I feel like I can still chip away at certain things. I've still got tons of improvement. I feel like that's the bit that keeps me going is I do believe that next week I can be better than this week. 

"Whether I am or not, who knows. But the standard out here is getting better, so you kind of have to be to keep pace.”

Clark, the 2023 US Open champion, moved to four-under with a second round 68 at Augusta National. He started with three straight birdies from the second to fourth and added two more on the second nine while scoring just one bogey.

Hatton is one of ten LIV Golf players in the field and became just the third player in 30 years at The Masters to hit all 18 greens in regulation. China’s Haotong Li sunk four birdies in a row to move to four under overall.

Brooks Koepka, Ben Griffin and rising PGA Tour star Chris Gotterup are at three under after their early-morning excursions. Scottie Scheffler carded a disappointing two-over and is even heading into Saturday. It is his second-highest score at Augusta.

Elsewhere, debutant Tom McKibbin’s hopes of making the cut ended with a tough round of 76.

“A bit annoying. Fun. Yeah, it was a bit of everything,” he said afterwards. “ Probably a little bit of every emotion.

“The more times you can play, especially on the greens. I think the greens are obviously the trickiest part and a lot of putts the first two days as the course changes so much from the practice days, yesterday was a little bit of guesswork maybe.”

A bogey on the first and double-bogey immediately after had the Northern Irishman chasing thereafter.

“I knew maybe what they would do slope-wise, but, speed was, they were so quick.

Then uphill they are still quite slow. Going out this morning, again, you think they're going to be super quick, but that little bit of dew and stuff, it's like a little bit of guesswork on the greens.”

He will no doubt watch on as a thrilling contest takes shape. A host of major winners are in the race.