Golf-McIlroy reaches Masters turn with four-shot lead

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By Frank Pingue

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) -Rory McIlroy overcame a turbulent start and reached the turn with a four-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose and Ludvig Aberg as the Northern Irishman closed in on a career Grand Slam of golf’s four majors at the Masters on Sunday.

World number two McIlroy, who began the day two shots clear of DeChambeau, saw his lead vanish after one hole but went on to cover the first nine in one-under-par 35 that left him at 13 under on the week.

Englishman Rose, who began the day seven shots adrift, had six holes left in his round while 2024 Masters runner-up Aberg had eight to play.

McIlroy opened with a double-bogey at the first that dropped him into a tie with DeChambeau, who then moved one clear when he drained an eight-foot birdie putt at the par-five second.

But McIlroy responded with two consecutive birdies and, coupled with back-to-back bogeys from DeChambeau, was three shots clear after a roller-coaster opening four holes.

McIlroy had a chance to pad his lead when his second shot from 152 yards out at the par-four seventh screamed through a gap in the pines and settled eight feet from the hole but he left his birdie putt short. He added at birdie at the ninth.

McIlroy has endured his share of heartbreak at the majors, including at the 2011 Masters when he blew a four-shot lead in the final round with a back-nine collapse.

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama was in the clubhouse with the low round of the day after carding a six-under-par 66 that left the 2021 Masters winner at two under on the week.

The final round of the year’s first major was being played on a picture-perfect day under clear blue skies and dazzling sunshine at Augusta National where temperatures were slightly cooler than normal.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Augusta, GeorgiaEditing by David Goodman and Christian Radnedge)