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The stats don't always tell you the story, but after watching Justin Rose at Augusta today they absolutely do - and show just why that round of 69 could've been massively better.

Rose is usually a great putter around Augusta, but his strokes gained stats leave a lot to be desired as he's currently 70th in the field (out of 91) in putting.

Contrast that to being the very best in the Masters today so far in terms of approach play, and third tee-to-green. At least he knows what to work on for tomorrow.

Oh yes! Jason Day backs up his four at the eighth with another birdie at the ninth and he moves to within two of Rory McIlroy.

Day has not dropped a shot since the third hole yesterday. He's looking as good as anyone out there.

Dustin Johnson matches the Australian's three, but it's an eighth straight par for Shane Lowry, whose patience is being tested right now.

Bryson bounces back!

After a bogey on the sixth DeChambeau responds with a birdie at the seventh.

The American backs up a solid tee shot by getting on the dance floor with a crisp iron. DeChambeau's putter looks to be warming up after he rolls in from eight feet.

Tommy Fleetwood adds to his crystal collection with an eagle on the eighth. Easily the best putt he's hit all day and it never looked like missing.

Meanwhile, Patrick Reed moves into a tie for second as he tidies up from five feet,

Rory McIlroy misjudges his birdie putt at the sixth by quite a bit, leaving him looking rather befuddled as it drifts off to the left.

Not his best effort by any stretch but it's a par and he stays two clear.

Tommy Fleetwood absolutely drills his drive down the eighth fairway and backs it up with a exquisite second that finds the green and gives him an eagle putt from inside 20 feet.

Patrick Reed can only chop out of the sand with his second but then fizzes an iron into five feet. Wow.

Gary Woodland is going to have to be a little bit careful playing the last after picking up a bogey on the 7th - he's currently four over par for the round and can't afford to drop more than one more if he wants to play the weekend.

Scottie Scheffler is within a whisker of getting back into the red but his 25-foot birdie putt grazes the hole.

It's a par for Robert MacIntyre too and he'll be packing his bags after leaving Augusta National today.

Justin Rose cut a thoroughly frustrated figure today, mainly over a first nine that saw him miss at least three birdie putts from close range, all three he'd usually expect to make.

He kept his compsure though to make four birdies in five holes around the turn, with some sparkling iron play almost taking the putter out of the equation he was hitting it so close.

Finishing with a 69 was a great result on one hand considering the pressure he put on himself, but on the other hand given a normal Rose putting performance at Augusta that round could've been a really special low one.

Rose is a mentality monster though, as a great football manager once said, so he'll just be thinking he's on five under and in second spot heading into the weekend.

A bit like the fourth, there isn't much green separating the pin from the bunker at the front of the green at the par-three sixth.

Rory McIlroy backs away from his ball because of a nearby roar. But after stepping back up, he draws a superb moonball towards the pin and he'll have a great chance for an immediate bounce-back birdie.

Jason Day pours a lovely birdie putt in from 15 feet at the par-five eighth to make his first move of the day.

The Australian is just three back now.

Shane Lowry can't get off the par train at the moment, though. That's seven in a row for the Irishman and he remains four adrift.

Justin Rose hits another good looking approach shot but it's just a couple of yards too long and doesn't catch the slope right back down to the flag.

He manages to negotiate the two-putt par though to finish with a four, that's two shots better than he managed yesterday on 17 and 18. But he'll no doubt be off to work on his putting after his display on the greens today.

Brooks Koepka also makes his par and at three under he's right in the mix heading into the weekend, while Jordan Spieth was arguably even worse than Rose on the greens during his 73.

A second bogey of the round for Bryson DeChambeau.

The American overcooks a long putt and does the same with his next shot before finally sliding the ball in from three feet.

A bogey for Matt Fitzpatrick as well. He moves to three over after paying the price for a slightly wayward tee shot.

There's an 'f-bomb' from Bob Mac on the 16th tee. I think that's his Masters done for 2026. His ball plunges into the pond between the tee and green. It leads to a bogey-four and other than an eagle-birdie (or birdie-eagle if you prefer) finish, he's toast.

Scottie Scheffler and Gary Woodland both in for safe pars.

Nope, McIlroy misses his par putt and that's his first mistake of the day - and a reasonably poor one considering where he was sitting after that glorious drive.

Woefully short with a birdie putt on the sixth, Patrick Reed no goes right off the tee on seven and clips a tree branch with his approach. He'll get up and down from just off the right front edge though.

Tommy Fleetwood plays into 14 feet to give himself a decent look at a three but his effort grazes the left edge of the cup. And it's just a par for Akshay Bhatia, who waved his ball in for a two on the previous hole.

Rory McIlroy stripes his drive 338 yards down the middle of the fifth fairway, but he blocks his approach out to the right and it's fortunate to stay high up on the slope.

It's a fairly straightforward chip but he's a tad aggressive with it and he'll have his first par tester coming up from around seven feet or so.

Sam Burns wraps up the front nine with a 15-foot putt to claim par. The American has had just the one birdie so far in his second round.

He's in the pack in behind Rory McIlroy but might need to find an extra gear in the back nine after missing a few birdie chances today.

A good day all round for this trio, who all post under-par scores.

Chris Gotterup birdies the 18th to nick the glory of the lowest score in the group.

As it stands, those on four over and better will be playing the weekend. But Jon Rahm has a nervous afternoon ahead of him.

A lifeline for Bob. He can't make the eagle putt on 15 but he's in for a birdie. He's going to need at least one more in his closing three holes, perhaps two.

Scottie Scheffler's troubles continue. It's a second bogey on a par-five hole on the back nine after that trip to the water with his second shot.

Gary Woodland takes a par.

Matt Fitzpatrick and Xander Schauffele have been a pair of steady eddies so far today,

Neither player has made a birdie today as they head to the tee at the sixth hold after both players banked their fifth consecutive par of the round at the fifth.