AUGUSTA, Georgia - Justin Rose remains driven by his pursuit of a Masters victory, despite facing a formidable six-shot deficit behind leader Rory McIlroy. Rose, a three-time Masters runner-up, posted a three-under 69, placing him at six-under for the tournament.
Rose, who lost a playoff to McIlroy last year, expressed unchanged ambition. "I feel the same, which is good," he stated. "I feel in good form. I feel in good spirits."
However, Rose acknowledges the need for a significant downturn from McIlroy to contend for the Green Jacket. His own round featured early challenges, including a bogey and a ball lost under a bush on the fifth hole. He recovered with a series of birdies around the turn, but a bogey at the 12th tempered his progress. "I felt like the round could have gone either way," Rose commented, crediting his resilience for rebuilding his play.