Matsuyama fights back with a 68

Hideki Matsuyama recovered from a sluggish start at The Masters by carding a four-under-par 68 to move within five shots back of second round leader Justin Rose with his two-day total of three-under-par 141.

The 2021 Masters champion entered the round in a share of 38^th place after opening with a 73. He had a dream start after sinking an eagle-three on the par-five first. Matsuyama dropped a shot on the fourth but charged back strongly with birdies on holes six, 10, 13 and 14 before another bogey on 15 halted his momentum.

The 33-year-old then parred his last three holes to move 26 spots up to a share of 12^th place at Augusta National.

Reflecting on his second round, Matsuyama said: “I played well today, and making an eagle on the second and a birdie on the third definitely helped me feel more at ease.

“The wind was a factor, but the green speed didn’t change much despite the rain. Pin positions are always tough here, but I’ll just focus on playing well again tomorrow.”