Justin Rose upwardly mobile at Valhalla

Rose climbing the leaderboard as Rory McIlroy waits to start his third round

Justin Rose hits his tee shot on the 13th hole at Valhalla. Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Justin Rose hits his tee shot on the 13th hole at Valhalla. Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Former US Open champion Justin Rose made the most of his late-night heroics when play resumed in the US PGA Championship at a soggy Valhalla.

Rose birdied the final two holes of his second round to make the cut with just a shot to spare on Friday evening and carried on where he left off on Saturday.

The world number five raced to the turn in just 31 shots at a venue where he made his Ryder Cup debut in 2008 and finished with three points from four matches.

Rose birdied the first, third, fourth and seventh and after the disappointment of missing from four feet on the par-five 10th, picked up another shot on the short par-four 13th.

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That took the 34-year-old, who won back-to-back events for the first time in his career in the Quicken Loans National and Scottish Open recently, to five under par for the day and the tournament, four behind halfway leader Rory McIlroy.

England's Danny Willett had also jumped up the leaderboard to join Rose on five under courtesy of birdies on the second and third and chipping in for an eagle on the fourth, where the tee had been moved forward to allow players to try to drive the green.

McIlroy enjoyed a one-shot lead over Jim Furyk and Jason Day and had vowed to "keep the pedal down" as he looked to claim a second major title in four weeks and a third victory in a row.

The British Open champion's opening rounds of 66 and 67 matched the scores posted by Tiger Woods on his way to victory here in 2000, when he also led by one shot at halfway.