A little further ahead, Scheffler has had to settle for a bogey, finishing round two tied fourth on five under, a shot behind McIlroy and Conners and three off the lead.

The defending champion has had quite the round. He’s having to contort himself round branches on the edge of the 18th fairway after sending his tee shot way over to the left. He digs the ball back out well but will do very well to salvage anything from this hole.

He’s over-hit his fairway shot and it sails to the back of the green before bouncing off a post.

The Englishman birdies again to leapfrog McIlroy move to within one shot of the lead, still held by his compatriot Justin Rose.

Owen Slot, Augusta

I’ve just been sitting at the back of the 18th green watching some of the late finishers come in. There is a small area of media seats there and, for us in the press, it is one of the most privileged places in sport. You are right there, right up close.

The two matches I was waiting for were Bernhard Langer’s and Freddie Couples’: two greats, two players who are so very much adored by the galleries and who engage so warmly with them.

And they are two players who do this event so much credit. There have been many former champions who return year after year but disappear to the wrong end of the leaderboard in double quick time. Though it is their right to play, they are so uncompetitive that they do the event no credit.

The opposite is the case for Langer and Couples, 67 and 65 years old respectively, and still scrapping for every shot. Each of them brought the drama with them all the way up the 18th as they chased the projected cut of two over. Strangely they both faced similar putts from a similar position and similar length: about nine foot. For the pair of them, it was the same equation: sink the putt and beat the cut. Miss and you are gone.

Alas, they both missed. But what warmth in the standing ovations that cheered them off the green.

Having hit a bogey a couple of holes earlier, Hatton comes agonisingly close to an eagle, but has to settle for a birdie, which puts him back to six under.

Corey Conners is one to keep an eye on this weekend — the Canadian has arrived in the clubhouse with a round of 70, putting him six under, two shots off the lead.

Read David Walsh’s piece on how McIlroy’s comeback on day two has put him firmly in the mix for one of sport’s great prizes.

The American’s ball falls agonisingly short of the 13th green and plops into the water hazard, but he chips on to within a few feet. Scheffler looks to be riding his luck a bit, and will know he needs to improve if he wants to defend his title.

The two-time Masters champion is aiming to become the oldest player ever to make the cut here, at the age of 67. He received plenty of warm applause from the admiring patrons on his way up to the 18th green in his 41st Masters.

He sends his putt for par agonisingly wide, meaning he must settle for a bogey that puts him to three over. Whether he’ll make the cut remains to be seen. He is greeted by his family as he leaves the green.

That’s a frustrating one for Hatton — he misjudged a putt that rolled about eight feet wide of the hole, and can’t convert on the way back. He’s back at five under.

After two consecutive bogeys, Scheffler chips in for a lovely birdie on the 12th. He’ll be feeling a little better now. A little fist pump and a high-five with his caddie and he’s back at it.

After a solid start to his second round, the defending champion is starting to really struggle with the wind. He’s found a similar area on the 12th as McIlroy did, and as it was to the Northern Irishman, Augusta was kind to Scheffler here, as the ball rolled back out of the pine straw to off the back of the green. He could do with making something of this situation, as he’s slipped to four under and is tied for ninth after a strong start to day two.

Read Owen Slot’s full piece from day two at Augusta, where the 44-year-old Rose’s steel will stand him in good stead for what’s to come at the weekend.

It’s been a fantastic tournament so far for golfers from the British Isles. Three consecutive birdies at eight, nine and ten have propelled the Englishman Hatton up the leaderboard, tied with Corey Conners and Rory McIlroy.

By Owen Slot, Augusta

Impressive press conference from Rory McIlroy just now. He repeated how he had utterly refused to let the events on the 15th and 17th yesterday get to him.

“Overall,” he said, “I’m just proud of myself with how I responded today. I just had to remind myself that I was playing well. I couldn’t let two bad holes dictate the narrative.”

He was also asked about the comments yesterday from Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Gary Player. The three grandees were asked, before the tournament had really got going, who they thought would win and who they wanted to win. All three gave the same single answer: McIlroy.

Thus the question just now to McIlroy: “How does that make you feel?”

And his answer: “They’re getting old!”

Read Owen Slot’s piece on the finest short holes around the world, where courage and accuracy trumps raw power.

Hatton sinks a birdie on the eighth to move to five under par. With plenty of golf left to play today, could he move further up the leaderboard?

The defending champion takes his first chance to rectify the bogey on his previous hole by sinking a birdie on the eighth, taking him to six under, level with McIlroy and Corey Conners.

The former Open champion came close to a final birdie, but has to settle for par on the 18th to end his round in a strong position at five under, tied fourth.

What a round. That’s how you recover from a devastating first day. A solid par on the 18th closes a fantastic round of 66. Full credit to Rory McIlroy, he’s been brilliant today. He’s shown real mettle to get himself out of a few sticky spots and played some brilliant shots.

Elsewhere, Scheffler drops his first shot of the tournament with a bogey on the seventh.

This course is tough enough — the last thing these players need is Mother Nature sticking her nose in. Flags are snapping and trees are rustling, and the players now have even more to think about.

In other news, Scottie Scheffler, tied second on six under has just shanked a drive on the seventh.

With the American bogeying the 16th, a birdie putt slides agonisingly wide of the hole for McIlroy, but he duly knocks it in for par with one hole to play on day two.

That could have gone awry! McIlroy saves par after a sensible approach shot put him within six feet of the pin. He’s still five under with two to play.

This is turning into quite the round! McIlroy has nailed another birdie to put himself six under with three holes to play, tied third with Viktor Hovland who is a hole ahead. Credit to him for turning it round after a horrendous back nine yesterday.

Englishman will likely hold the lead at the end of the second day after a solid performance to build on yesterday’s showing.

McIlroy thought long and hard about that, even changing club after a quick chat with his caddie. He’s found the green with an absolutely outrageous shot off the pine straw. He is right up for the fight here.

There it is! McIlroy nails the putt and moves to five under, and looks to be really on the charge.

Having fluffed another drive on a par five today, McIlroy found the pine straw. Then he pulls out an absolute wonder shot, landing the ball ten feet away for a potential eagle, which would propel him further up the leaderboard. He’s certainly got his head in the game after yesterday’s collapse.

Leader one shot clear of Bryson DeChambeau after his second shot found the bunker to the right of the green. He’s now eight under.

Augusta was kind to McIlroy there — he overhit his tee shot on the 12th, but a kind bounce gave him a decent position for an approach shot, from which he made a straightforward putt for par. For context, his playing partner Akshay Bhatia’s tee shot ended up in Rae’s Creek. Fine margins.

The leader knocks in another birdie on the 16th, and takes his overall score to nine under par. At the other end of the course, here comes the defending champion Scottie Scheffler.

McIlroy duly sinks his putt and maintains his good start to the back nine.

After a cracking tee shot, McIlroy has found the green on the par-four 11th. He looks happy with that.

Englishman has made another par to eliminate any thoughts of a potential wobble after that bogey.

The South Korean is tied for third alongside Matt McCarty on six under. Can he keep up the pressure on Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Rose?

The Irishman is three under after a well-made birdie on the eighth, having rescued a poor tee shot which flew to the left. He is well in the mix on day two.

After a magical approach shot that landed within two feet of the hole, McIlroy gets down to two under par with a very easy putt on the tenth. Could he be on his way back?

Rose is back down to eight under with a bogey on the 14th, having missed a tricky putt. He’s still in a great position, but Bryson DeChambeau is now just a shot behind.

Once again, Rory McIlroy has to settle for par, this time at the 9th. His playing partner Ludvig Aberg is also left frustrated and will have to be content with par. Meanwhile, Rasmus Hojgaard continues his strong second round by making another birdie at the 10th to leave him four under par.

Rory McIlroy has to settle for par at the 8th and it feels like something of a missed opportunity for the Northern Irishman after he misread the putt following a disappointing drive out to the right. Meanwhile, Ludvig Aberg converts for a birdie to get back to four under par.

McIlroy misread the putt on the 8th

MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS

Brilliant from Justin Rose. The deceptively difficult 12th, Golden Bell, has been the scene of many a watery demise, including the infamous 2016 sinking of Jordan Spieth which helped Danny Willett to the Green Jacket, but Rose makes it look like a stroll in the park. The Englishman turns over a beautiful draw which pitches several yards to the right of the flag before ripping back towards the cup. Another excellent putt extends his lead to nine under.

MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS

More good news for the Europeans with both Rasmus Hojgaard and Matt Fitzpatrick moving to three under, and Shane Lowry getting to two under. That will please European captain Luke Donald ahead of this year’s Ryder Cup in New York, but the form of Bryson DeChambeau is also ominous. The big-hitting American, who rubs shoulders with Donald Trump, made three birdies in the opening two holes and is now in solo second two shots behind Justin Rose. Rory McIlroy remains one under after a couple of birdie putts just stay up.

Here comes the US Open champion. Bryson DeChambeau once had his tail between his legs here after calling Augusta a “par 67” but he has made a fast start in the second round and is now five under, three shots behind Rose, who has just made a birdie at the 8th.

DAVID CANNON/GETTY IMAGES

Also having a good front nine is Rasmus Hojgaard. The talented Dane, who is Nicolai’s twin brother, has moved from one over to two under in six holes on his first Masters appearance.

Some movement in chasing pack behind Rose. Ludvig Aberg makes a simple birdie at the 3rd to get to five under, a birdie at the second takes Bryson DeChambeau to four under, while Viktor Hovland and Shane Lowry move to two under.

TANNEN MAURY/UPI/ALAMY

Aberg clearly loves it here after finishing second on his first appearance last year and is the biggest early threat to Rose, while Hovland’s season also makes for an interesting narrative. In an honest assessment of his frailties on the Friday of the Valspar Championship last month, the Norwegian said: “It sucks — I just don’t have control over what I’m doing.” But two days later he had his hands on the trophy. “Stupid, stupid game,” Hovland wrote on social media afterwards. He looks in good form now.

Brilliant recovery from McIlroy. The Northern Irishman’s tee shot at the 2nd finds the pine straw and his line into the green is completely obscured by a tree. He is forced to punch out to the first cut to the left of the fairway but then hits a glorious approach from 116 yards to just six-feet from the back pin position and makes birdie. That is a beautiful example of how his wedge game has improved since shortening his back swing to address errant approach shots — and he then bombs his driver straight down the middle of the 3rd. He is one under.

McIlroy made birdie from here

Owen Slot, Augusta

I’ve just been out monitoring Justin Rose, attempting to gauge whether his giddy height on the leader board was likely to cause any vertigo.

Rose is about as composed and experienced as they come. But then again, the Masters’ is not any leaderboard to sit atop.

JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON/AP

He has just bogeyed the fifth after three pars and a birdie on two — so level for the day so far. But it’s been more a case of him hanging in there than pushing to go ever higher. Really decent up-and-downs were required of him on the first and the fourth. He stood off his drive on the fourth when a gust of wind blew up and when he did eventually hit his drive, the wind caught it and landed it some 55 yards short of the hole.

A chip rescued him there, but it was no surprise that his fortune then ran dry on the fifth.

Matt Fitzpatrick, winner of the 2022 US Open, has been in a terrible run of form so far this season, with three missed cuts in five events leading to an emotional split with caddie Billy Foster recently. However, the Englishman put in a decent one-under-par round yesterday and has made a strong start to round two with an eagle at the par-five 2nd after a lovely approach. Fellow Europeans McIlroy, Aberg and Viktor Hovland all make pars at the 1st just behind him.

Rose may have been the best putter in the field yesterday but he also ranked 80th off the tee and a poor 3-wood at the 3rd leaves him out of position. He is still able to make par after a decent approach but that is certainly an area of concern despite his four-shot lead.

ANDREW REDINGTON/GETTY IMAGES

Not far behind him on the 1st is Rory McIlroy, who has just started his second round with a decent tee shot that just runs into the first cut left of the fairway. Only Ludvig Aberg, who is also in this group, drove the ball better than McIlroy statistically yesterday. McIlroy is level, Aberg is four under in second.

Solid start from Rose as the leader bombs his opening tee shot straight down the middle of the 1st fairway then almost holes his chip from just off the green for what would have been an opening birdie.

He then catches an extraordinarily fortunate break: the Englishman hooks his approach into the par-five 2nd way left, but it clips the top of the pine trees, bounces back into the middle of the fairway, before trickling into the greenside bunker. He splashes out before continuing his form from yesterday with a rock-solid 14ft putt for birdie to extend his lead.

With Augusta famed for its deceptive slopes and lightning fast greens, the Englishman’s excellent work so far has been largely underpinned by his putting: Rose putted better than any other player in the field yesterday and that was a classy stroke to move to eight under.

Rick Broadbent, Augusta

The rules at Augusta National always produce a degree of astonishment in newcomers. The green jackets put a lot of stock in etiquette and decorum and so a quote to that end from Bobby Jones, the “president-in-perpetuity”, is printed on the start time sheets handed out to punters. Sorry, patrons. The rules state spectators have to be referred to as such.

Of course, this puts José Luis Ballester’s decision to seek relief in Rae’s Creek, rather than the toilets, into a darker light. He thought it was funny and his toilet humour did get a round of applause, but this was a bad misread of the room when it comes to Augusta. After all, a coach had been removed from the range this week for the cardinal sin of wearing shorts. Funnily enough, although not in the eyes of the guardians of piety, the coach in question is here to work with, er, you’ve guessed it, Ballester. Being caught short, or in shorts, has become the bad boy theme.

Now some may think Augusta are taking the Michael with their monitoring of all these misdemeanours. Anyway, a confession. I was well aware that phones are not allowed on the course and will be punished by having your accreditation removed and a four-day city break with Patrick Cantlay. Yet I also fell foul of the rule police myself this morning when I was seen looking at my phone on the balcony of the media centre, a sort of southern mansion honed from a Tennessee Williams play. A warning followed. This adds to a litany of shame that includes being told off for slouching when sitting on the grass bank on the 6th a few years ago. Dangerous times.

The first-round leader Justin Rose is about to tee off at the 1st hole and will be hoping for a fast start as he bids to extend his three-shot advantage. The Englishman played beautifully yesterday, with crisply-struck irons and a lovely tempo to his putting, but a couple of high-right misses with the driver crept in down the closing stretch, the last of which leading to his only bogey at the 18th.

The 44-year-old has finished in the top ten on six occasions at Augusta, including when second to Sergio García in a play-off in 2017, but he is yet to win a Green Jacket. He has set himself an excellent platform to change that record.

Bubba Watson is the first of the LIV Golf contingent to tee off this morning after a mixed opening round for the 12 players on the Saudi-funded tour. There is a fascination in the annual reveal of LIV’s superstars at Augusta. Where are they at, and what has LIV done for their golf? Has all the money punctured their motivation? From Hatton and Bryson DeChambeau earning spots in the chasing pack to the struggles of Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka, Owen Slot delved into their opening rounds yesterday.

• Owen Slot: LIV’s lack of competition plain to see on game’s biggest stage

Rick Broadbent, Augusta

Where McIlroy says Augusta is the Disneyland of golf, Tyrrell Hatton has never hidden his disdain. “Unfair” he said in 2022 after rounds of 79, 80 and escalating frustration. Last year he said the 15th hole lived rent free in his head. “I hate it.” There are signs, though, that this may be changing.

RICHARD HEATHCOTE/GETTY IMAGES

The English firebrand moved into the lead yesterday after a rare birdie at the deceptively difficult 12th, Golden Bell, the scene of many a watery demise, including the infamous 2016 sinking of Jordan Spieth which helped Danny Willett to his greatest day. Given his previous forays and remarks — “everything is exaggerated here” — Hatton’s ascent was a happy surprise.

Watch out for his brilliant wedges and explosive style when he resumes in the penultimate group at 6.34pm.

• Read Rick Broadbent’s report from day one at Augusta

Cameron Davis made a stunning chip-in for eagle from behind the rock solid new 15th green yesterday, a feat made all the more impressive given that McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay found the water with their chips from almost the exact same spot. The Australian, who is two over, has just begun his second round alongside Rafael Campos and Austin Eckroat. Play is under way at Augusta National.

Rick Broadbent, Augusta

When it comes to Augusta, though, Scottie Scheffler’s comfort zone tends to measure around 365 acres and yesterday afternoon the world No1 and defending champion moved into an utterly unsurprising share of the lead.

EPA/CJ GUNTHER

Even when not at his absolute best, Scheffler has too many weapons to be contained. So putts from 62 feet and 42 feet gave huge boosts to his round at timely moments, early on the 4th and late on the 16th. He will be frustrated not to have more from the par-fives on the back nine, but this was the requisite start as he tries to become only the second man after Nicklaus to win three Green Jackets in four years.

He will tee off at 6.23pm with Justin Thomas and amateur José Luis Ballester.

Rick Broadbent, Augusta

Well, that was some first day. Justin Rose was magnificent and Rory McIlroy was moving along beautifully until the 15th. History dictates that the winner will come from the top 10 in the first round and that list included some big names — Rose, Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Ludvig Aberg, Bryson Dechambeau and Jason Day. If we take the last four rounds at the Masters as our guide then Aberg will be the winner as he is now three shots better than Scheffler over those 72 holes.

Obviously, all eyes will be on McIlroy’s reaction — but given the way he played for much of the first round it would be no surprise if he gets back into it today.

As for his errors on the 15th, it is worth repeating Viktor Hovland’s remarks about a brilliant hole fronted by water.

“I had a full 4-iron in there today and I pulled it a little bit, landed middle of the green, and it bounced a good a good 10 steps over the green,” Hovland said. “It’s just really difficult. I hit a really nice pitch shot and I made sure to aim it really far left away from the pin because you can easily hit a nice pitch on that green and it just rolls in the water, which I’m sure a lot of guys did today.

“So I made sure to hit a high soft one and just keep it really far left, and even then it came trickling back. But you don’t have to be far off to make a double or hit it in the water.”

It was also interesting to see DeChambeau out late on the range last night and then back at it at 6am today. You certainly can’t fault him for effort.

Rick Broadbent, Augusta

José Luis Ballester, the US Amateur champion, wanted to make a splash at the Masters but perhaps not in the way he managed. Playing alongside the world No1 Scottie Scheffler, the Spaniard was caught short after playing his third shot on the par-three 12th. Instead of using the nearby toilets, he decided to go in the famous Rae’s Creek.

The 21-year-old was defiant afterwards and said he would do it again. “I completely forgot that we had those restrooms to the left of the [13th] tee box,” he said. “I’m like, ‘I really need to pee’ and didn’t really know where to go, and since JT [Justin Thomas] had an issue on the green, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to sneak here in the river and probably people would not see me that much’. And then they clapped for me.”

Quite what Augusta National’s etiquette police make remains to be seen. People have been excommunicated by the green jackets for less.

• Amateur urinates in Rae’s Creek at Masters and says: I’d do it again

Owen Slot, Augusta

Anyone who had watched McIlroy’s first 14 holes here in the first round of the 89th edition of the Masters would have agreed: he looks fine. He looks better than fine. He looks great. He was bouncing down the fairways. That spring in his step — it couldn’t have been bouncier, it could not have told a more different story to the one that was about to play out.

MICHAEL REAVES/GETTY IMAGES

For be in no doubt, what followed was a terrible McIlroy lapse. Watching McIlroy self-destruct here was heart-breaking. But it’s his heart that has sustained the damage and it is for him to somehow find a way to recover.

• Vulnerable and frazzled McIlroy collapses. Is it all over already?

Rick Broadbent, Augusta

Sometimes you hear veteran players talking about great days being ahead of them and you smile politely while thinking they are a tad deluded, even raging against the dying of the light. Not Justin Rose. The 44-year-old had one of the finest afternoons of a career that already includes a US Open triumph and Olympic gold, and promised further grit. “Getting stuck in is no problem,” he said.

Going down the last hole on the opening day when the greens began to bake and bite, he needed a birdie to match the course record. Maybe that finishing line came into too sharp a view, but he made a bad swing and found the trees. He had to play out sideways. The record went, but the accolades remained.

• Evergreen Rose three shots clear but dangerous Scheffler in ominous form

Rose will begin his second round in one of the early Friday tee times at 1.52pm before the first wave of featured groups. Among them are Brooks Koepka, Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland, Aberg, Bryson DeChambeau, Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood.

For the full Friday tee times — plus Billy Foster’s guide to Amen Corner — follow the link below.

• Masters 2025: tee times, top players and key holes

Hello and welcome to our live coverage day two of the Masters, where Justin Rose holds a three-shot lead on seven under after a remarkable round of 65. The Englishman may be 44, but he has led the Masters after eight rounds now, he has been runner-up twice, and there are signs that he can still cut it among the elite even if his consistency is now lumpier.

HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES

The defending champion Scottie Scheffler looms ominously in the chasing pack after a bogey-free 68, and he would likely have Rory McIlroy for company had the Northern Irishman not made two double bogeys in three holes in the closing stretch yesterday. McIlroy had played beautifully to reach four under after 14 holes, but found the water at the 15th before another lapse in concentration at the 17th.

Can he recover? We will find out from 2.58pm UK time, when he begins his second round alongside Ludvig Aberg, who is also in second place with Scheffler. Stay tuned for updates from Owen Slot, Rick Broadbent and David Walsh from Augusta, with the second round set to begin from 12.40pm.

A very frustrating visit to the 17th green for Hatton, whose putt from a foot and a half away catches the lip and rolls far, far away. He looks furious with himself.

A little further ahead, Scheffler has had to settle for a bogey, finishing round two tied fourth on five under, a shot behind McIlroy and Conners and three off the lead.