AUGUSTA, Ga. – Seven holes away from the Masters, Justin Rose had 2 points on top and was not in a panic position.
I knew Augusta National in April was not a picnic compared to last November. He thought that if at the end of the day he could return even to the same level, he would be fine.
Rose never expected her best score in her 59 rounds at Augusta National.
Nor could anyone have seen him coming.
Rose made seven birdies and an eagle during a torrid 10-hole stretch for an opening of 7 to under 65, which gave him a 4-shot lead Thursday in conditions that could only be tougher the rest of the way .
“It’s amazing,” Rose said. “It’s a good reminder that you never know what might happen around here.”
He started with a good jump off the green mounds left in the par-5 eighth that set up a 10-foot eagle. Only two of his birdie putts were off 8 feet. He drilled a pair of 12-foot putt over the missing green. Not bad for a 40-year-old England player who plays for the first time in a month after resting.
Twice a runner-up, including a playoff loss to Sergio Garcia four years ago, Rose tied a Masters record by securing at least part of the first round for the fourth time. The other one who did this was Jack Nicklaus. The difference? Nicklaus won two of his six green jackets from that position.
Brian Harman, the last player to enter the 88-man field, and Hideki Matsuyama were finishing their round of about 69 by the time Rose started on a dry, crunchy course, in greens so fast that there were spots of brown.
Among the 70s were Masters champion Patrick Reed and Masters newcomer Will Zalatoris. Jordan Spieth beat a triple bogey from the trees at number 9 and got a great break when his chip on the 15th crashed into the eagle pin instead of falling into the water. He fired 71.
A lot of red numbers were missing from the standings in such difficult conditions that Garcia said after a 76: “I feel like I just got out of the ring with Evander Holyfield.”
Five months ago, in the first Masters held in November due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the turf was so soft that 53 players were under par after the first round.
Rose shot 65 on such a tough day that only 12 players outscored the pair and the average score was 74.5.
British Open champion Shane Lowry jumped from the back of the 15th green into the water in front of the green. He escaped with a bogey and hit a 71. U.S. amateur champion Tyler Strafaci hit a 60-foot putt behind the ninth green that finished 75 feet from the other side.
Defending champion Dustin Johnson, who set the record last year at 20 under 268, failed to beat parity for the first time since the first round of 2018. He tripled the double bogey on the 18th by a 74 .
“I’m sorry about the boys’ first Masters in November, and then they go out there wondering what the hell is going on, ”Kevin Kisner said after a hard-won 72.
It was no surprise. Augusta National hasn’t rained in over a week and players didn’t remember the last time the Greens were that fast during practice rounds, let alone with a scorecard in hand on Thursday.
“It’s my tenth year, but I’ve never seen greens so firm and fast,” Matsuyama said. “So it was a new course for me to play today and I was lucky to do well.”
And what about Rose? Even in more forgiving conditions, he had never done anything better than 67.
“I didn’t feel like today was the day of a 65, if I’m honest,” Rose said.
No one needed to convince, especially Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy, among the best players who struggled with the wind and had so many problems when the ball was on the ground.
DeChambeau, the U.S. Open champion who has been licking his ribs to bring his oversized game to Augusta National, made no birdies until the 15th hole and shot 76, his highest score. high as a professional in the Masters. Patrick Cantlay hit the water the two par 3s of the back nine and shot 79.
“The boys will be thrown out of the golf tournament on the first day,” Webb Simpson said after a late double bogey forced him to settle for a 70s.
McIlroy, who needed a green jacket to complete the Grand Slam race, hit his father with a shot in the seventh hole. It was the most interesting moment of his round of 76. Lee Westwood, who had a pair of finishes in the Florida swing, had 78.
Rose looked like she could head in that direction. He made a gentle bewilderment at number 1. He passed the green three times at number 7. He was 2 years old, though he was not ready to panic. I knew it was hard. I also knew I was going in the wrong direction.
“You can’t win the golf tournament today. Even with a 65 you can’t win today,” Rose said. “You’ll probably only be able to lose it today, obviously. I restored it just before and thought that if I could recover even on par, it would be a good day’s work.”
He hit 5 sticks at 10 feet for the eagle and a 9-foot plate on the dangerous left pin from number 9 to 4 feet for bird. He drilled a 25-foot putt on the 10th and hit 8 to 6 feet on the number 12. He never stopped. Even from the first cut of dirt on the 17th, his wedge was installed 4 feet from the hole.
He finished reviewing the details of this amazing stretch, smiled and said, “Sounds easy.”
It looked like that. But only for him.