Aussie Jason Day surges, Rory McIlroy roars back at the Masters

Rory McIlroy’s epic charge put him back in the mix, while a LIV star impressed and an Aussie just missed an all-time Masters record.

Rory McIlroy reignited his quest for a maiden green jacket with an epic charge, while Bryson DeChambeau gained valuable ground on leader Justin Rose in the second round of The Masters.

Rose still leads the tournament, he sits at 8-under, but DeChambeau is just one shot back and McIlroy is two shots behind the leader.

World No. 2 McIlroy shot the round of the day with a six-under par 66 launching him back into contention.

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The script flipped for McIlroy from the opening round as the back nine turned into his friend rather than his nemesis.

The Northern Irishman stayed bogey free on Friday, making four birdies, at holes two, 10, 11 and 15, as well as a stunning eagle at the par 5 13th where he stuck his second shot from the pine straw to nine feet.

Jason Day reacts after missing a putt on the 16th hole. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

It was the 15th and 17th holes where McIlroy made double bogeys a day prior, but he played them with minimal fuss this time around, birdieing 15 after holding the front of the green with his approach to avoid the nervy chip he put in the water a round earlier.

His most spectacular shot of the day, however, was arguably the recovery from the woods on 14 which he put on the green, pin high to save par.

Meanwhile, DeChambeau hit more balls on the range than anyone else across the practice days and after the first round, according to the range data on The Masters app, and it paid off with a round of 68 taking him to 7-under for the tournament.

The reigning US Open champion raced out of the blocks with four front nine birdies, and held firm from then on, only dropping a shot when he three-putted at the par 3 16th.

Rory McIlroy (left) shakes hands with Ludvig Aberg on the 18th hole. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The highlight of the LIV star’s day was undeniably a hole-out for birdie from the greenside bunker at the par 3 fourth, and it gave him plenty of momentum as part of a run that included four birdies in the space of seven holes.

Rose shot a one-under par round of 71 to hold onto the clubhouse lead, but left the door ajar for his rivals with two bogeys in his closing five holes.

The 44-year-old Englishman has come agonisingly short at Augusta National several times, including two runner-up finishes one of which was in a playoff, and led after the first round for the fifth time, more than anyone ever.

The veteran improved on previous efforts, however, after previously averaging 74 in the second round when holding the overnight lead.

Canada’s Corey Conners is alongside McIlroy at 6-under for the tournament after a round of 70, while defending champion Scottie Scheffler is one shot back from that pair after bogeying the last.

Bryson DeChambeau enjoyed his putt for par on his final hole. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images via AFP)

The world No. 1 made six birdies in his round of 71 but off set them with five bogeys, including at the 18th where an errant tee shot forced him to punch out of the woods before he got up-and-down to save bogey after launching his third shot over the back of the green.

Scheffler attempted to earn some relief by calling for a rules official after his drive, but it was to no avail in a frustrating end to a rollercoaster round.

He chipped-in for birdie at the famous par 3 12th after his long tee shot kicked out of the flowers, and he put a ball in the water on 13 but managed to save par.

Scheffler’s back nine in particular was quite the journey as he made only two pars.

Alongside him at 5-under are LIV star Tyrell Hatton, who three-putted at 16 and 17 to fall back two shots, Shane Lowry and Masters debutant Matt McCarty.

Scottie Scheffler had a wild round but is still in the hunt. (Photo by Richard HEATHCOTE/Getty Images via AFP)

Jason Day is still leading the Australian contingent, the former world No. 1 reaching the halfway mark at 4-under.

Day put his first bogey of the tournament on his card at the final hole, falling just short of becoming the second ever player, after Ed Sneed in 1979, to be bogey free after 36 holes at The Masters.

Day made birdies at two, six and eight and then held firm throughout the back nine with several important par saves as the wind picked up and conditions got more difficult.

Meanwhile, Min Woo Lee is 1-under for the tournament after also bogeying the 18th.

Lee started the day in wild fashion with a double bogey at the first after playing from the wrong fairway, before immediately following that up with back-to-back birdies and another bogey.

A birdie at 10 then got him back into red numbers, and he added another to his scorecard at 15, sticking a wedge in close at the tricky green after laying up.

Cameron Smith collapsed dramatically to miss the cut with four bogeys and a double bogey on the back nine.

He reached the turn at 1-under overall, but picked up a bogey at 10 followed by a double bogey at 11, where he pulled his approach into the water left of the green.

The 2022 British Open champion dropped another shot at 13 after leaving his approach short and his ball trickled down the slope into the water before failing to get up-and-down to save par at 16 and 17.

It was not the most dramatic meltdown of the day however, as Brooks Koepka crashed out of the tournament with a quadruple bogey at the last.

The five-time major champion was even par with two holes left in his round, but bogeyed 17 and then capitulated at 18.

He blasted his drive into the left woods off the tee for a lost ball. His re-tee found the edge of the fairway but then he launched his approach over the back of the green and three-putted once he got on it.

Adam Scott will disappointingly miss the cut for the first time since 2009 after an even par round kept the 2013 champion at 5-over, while Cam Davis had a day to forget with a round of 79 to finish his tournament at 9-over.

Originally published as Aussie Jason Day surges, Rory McIlroy roars back at the Masters