Sawt Falasteen - McIlroy battles Rose and Hatton for the Masters lead

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.

T.Ibrahim--SF-PST