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If it’s true what they say that the Masters doesn’t really begin until the back nine on Sunday, then Justin Rose must seriously fancy his chances of finally slipping on a green jacket.
For the second day running he came good on the most exciting nine holes in the game to retain the lead heading into the weekend of the 85th edition.
Rose followed up his marvellous opening 65 with a gutsy 72 for a seven under par total. He needed just 63 shots to play the back nine over the first two days, a vivid contrast to the 74 blows over the outward nine.
Justin Rose managed to salvage his second round at Augusta following another tough start
Yes, golf is one more sport that can sometimes prove a game of two halves.
Rose’s lead was trimmed from four shots to a single stroke by the wily left-hander Brian Harman, who hails from Georgia and shot a second successive 69, and fellow American Will Zalatoris, who is enjoying a remarkable Masters debut.
The 24 year old had no status on any tour just 17 months ago and now he will partner Rose in the final group on Saturday. ‘If I’m stupid enough to think I’m good enough to play at the Masters, why can’t I be stupid enough to think I can win?’ said Zalatoris, with what might prove the quote of the tournament.
Just two shots off the pace is a more familiar American foe in Jordan Spieth, who defeated Rose by four strokes when claiming the jacket in 2015. Could we be in for another compelling duel from the duo who have suddenly found their form?
No golfer in Masters history has won the title with a triple bogey on one of his four cards but don’t rule out Spieth from becoming the first after the way he’s played his other 35 holes so far (his aberration came at the 9th hole on Thursday). The demon putter followed his opening 71 with a 68.
Another highly decorated member of the American cavalry in world number two Justin Thomas is just three off the pace after rebounding from his opening 73 with a fine 67. Alongside him is Tony Finau, who had a chance to win the Masters two years ago and showed his liking for the course once more with a 66.
Rose was rightly pleased with his spirited response over the back nine. ‘I’m proud of the way I turned it into a worthwhile day,’ he said. ‘I didn’t come here with a lot of confidence after not playing for a month, but I held a lot of tough 4ft putts and grew as the round went on.’
Rose was hardly the first golfer to wake up the morning after a stunning display at Augusta and wonder if he was still playing the same game. After the effortless ease of his marvellous seven under par opener came a tortuous front nine played in 39 shots that was as different as night and day.
It looked to be going all horribly wrong for Rose when he played the front nine in three over
He admitted afterwards that he stood on the 10th tee with his ‘finger heading towards the panic button.’ He added: ‘I told myself to treat it like it was match play, and that I was three down with nine holes to go.’
The fightback began with a trio of pars to begin this stretch and then came the birdies. One of the two-putt variety at the 13th, followed by two more from 20ft at the 14th and the 16th. He has had nine birdies in two days over the back nine, and no dropped shots.
It looked as if he might spill one at the last when he drove into a fairway bunker but recovered with a marvellous blow to 12ft. ‘It meant that I had that putt for the win by one hole in my imaginary match play but in the end it was an honourable half,’ he said, smiling.
It is never easy leading the Masters. One bald statistic conclusively demonstrates that. Since 1985, 24 different players have held the outright first round lead. Only the all-conquering Spieth six years ago went on to win.
Rose shows his frustration after missing a birdie putt during the second round at Augusta
Rose looked as if he was going to prove one more victim but it’s been the hallmark of his rollercoaster career how he has fought back from adversity.
‘I’m pleasantly surprised at how well he’s doing, given there was a month where he wasn’t able to do very much owing to his back,’ his coach Sean Foley told Sportsmail. ‘Inspiration is an amazing thing.’
Rose has certainly got plenty of inspiring memories to draw upon at a course where he must have birdied every hole at least a dozen times. But what a performance this has been given his lack of competition. In its way, his second round 72 was even more impressive than his opener. Every player – well, apart from the oldies – can shoot 65 when the mood is upon them. A lot less can follow it with such a characterful effort.
Even during his warm up on Friday Rose, who’s been so close so often to winning the green jacket, looked nervous. A couple of drives on the practice ground were fanned out badly to the right.
He stopped the rot though as he started his comeback on the 13th hole to help retain his lead
It was no surprise to see him take a three wood, therefore, off the first tee but that one was fanned as well, leading to a bogey. Rose regained the stroke lost at the par five second, with a delicate chip to 3ft. Then the problems began.
At the 6th, his tee shot was two yards off line but that was all it needed to catch a severe slope and send the ball 70ft from the flag.
His first putt almost climbed the hill but almost added up to a bad mistake, as the ball trundled back 66ft in the direction it came. Rose did well simply to restrict the damage to a three-putt.
Three over after seven, no wonder he spoke afterwards about a panic button but a calmness descended on the back nine once more. It promises to be some weekend.
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