Rory's Remarkable Recovery: Masters Tournament Shifts

Rory McIlroy demonstrated his resilience at the Masters Tournament. His performance was a stark contrast to his earlier struggles. Many had written him off after a disappointing start. He had two double bogeys in his final four holes of the first round. This left many wondering if his chance at the career grand slam was over. However, McIlroy had other plans. He staged a remarkable comeback, shooting a 66 in the second round. This put him just two shots behind the leader, Justin Rose. McIlroy's round was nothing short of spectacular. He started off solid but unspectacular with a front nine of 35. The real magic happened on the back nine. He hit a magnificent approach shot on the 10th, leaving himself a tap-in birdie. On the 12th, he got lucky when his tee shot bounced off some foliage and ended up near the putting surface. He managed to par the hole. His second shot on the par-five 13th was jaw-dropping. He hit it from pine straw, 214 yards away, to within 10 feet of the cup. He made eagle. On the 14th, he launched an outrageous iron shot from among the trees to inside 20 feet. He made par on the 15th, where he had struggled the day before. At the 17th, he was unlucky not to get another birdie. He finished with a routine par at the last. McIlroy's performance was a testament to his skill and determination. He showed why he is one of the most entertaining players in golf. He knows that anything can happen in the remaining 36 holes. He is not the only one in contention. Corey Conners joined him on six under. Scottie Scheffler and Tyrrell Hatton are also in the mix. Scheffler had a bit of luck on the 12th before chipping in for a birdie two. Both Scheffler and Hatton had messy finishes but are still in the hunt. Justin Rose reached eight under par with a 71. He had to fight for much of his round. He branded it a "decent day. " Rose had high points with birdies at the 12th and 16th after glorious tee shots. However, he also gave back shots at the 14th and 17th. He smiled when asked if a Masters victory would mean more to him now, at the age of 44. He said he would enjoy it more as a gift towards the end of his career. Bryson DeChambeau is also in the mix. He shot a 68, putting him just one shot behind Rose. He punched the air at the last after holing out from 8ft for par. DeChambeau has developed hugely as a competitive force. He will do things his way, and his way has an increasing tendency to work. He said he is learning and has a little more wisdom than the last year. Shane Lowry also had a good round, shooting a 68 to move to five under. He revealed he had breakfast with McIlroy before the round. They talked about McIlroy's frustrating day. Matt McCarty is the surprise package on the same score, having won only once on the PGA Tour. Rasmus Højgaard and Viktor Hovland maintain a strong European theme on the leaderboard, the pair sitting at four under par. Ludvig Åberg made bogey at the last two, his 73 nudging him back to three under. The former champion Hideki Matsuyama has the same total.