Apr 10, 2025, 08:02 PM ET
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Justin Rose controlled to scouse borrow the eye from Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy within the Masters through matching his non-public highest at Augusta Nationwide with a 7-under 65 for a three-shot lead Thursday within the first main of the 12 months.
Scheffler did his section in his bid to win a 3rd Masters inexperienced jacket in 4 years, enjoying a bogey-free spherical of 68.
McIlroy, so determined to win this main and entire the profession Grand Slam, used to be proper there with him till the tip. He took a couple of double bogeys overdue within the afternoon with careless errors and needed to accept a 72. It used to be the 7th directly time he failed to wreck 70 within the opening spherical of the Masters.
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Rose burst out of the gates with 3 directly birdies. He added 3 extra across the flip. He used to be headed for a spherical just about 10 photographs higher than the sphere moderate till a deficient tee shot into the bushes ended in his handiest bogey on the ultimate gap.
Regardless of. This used to be a reminder to Rose, who completed with handiest 22 putts, that his excellent golfing continues to be superb.
“I am 44. Golfing isn’t going to get more uncomplicated for me within the subsequent 5, 10 years, no matter it is going to be,” Rose stated. “So your alternative is much less going ahead. So it’s important to profit from it.”
Rose set one Masters report: It used to be the 5th time he has had no less than a proportion of the 18-hole lead, breaking the mark held through Jack Nicklaus. The evident distinction, after all, is Nicklaus has six of the ones inexperienced jackets.
It additionally used to be the 8th time Rose has had no less than a proportion of the lead after any spherical at Augusta Nationwide, one thing handiest 5 others have accomplished. All are Masters champions.
| Masters R1 leads | No. |
|---|---|
| Justin Rose | 5 |
| Jack Nicklaus | 4 |
| Lloyd Mangrum | 3 |
| Arnold Palmer | 3 |
| Jordan Spieth | 3 |
| Gary Participant | 3 |
“I believe like I have performed neatly sufficient to win this match,” stated Rose, whose highest likelihood used to be a playoff loss to Sergio Garcia in 2017. “I simply really feel like I do not need the jacket to end up it. … However you have to be enjoying the golfing to stay growing the ones alternatives, and the one approach to do this is to get your title at the leaderboard. I indubitably do not shy clear of it.”
Corey Conners of Canada birdied his closing two holes for a 68, and he and Scheffler have been joined through Ludvig Åberg, the tremendous Swede who used to be runner-up to Scheffler in his Masters debut a 12 months in the past.
U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton carried the LIV Golfing flag, each at 69. DeChambeau had seven birdies in his up-and-down day, a display of his scoring energy.
“Making some bogeys for me most probably frees me up a little bit bit and says, ‘You understand what? Simply move out and play some golfing,'” DeChambeau stated.
The roars got here early, in conjunction with a couple of shockers.
Fred {Couples}, who questioned a month in the past if at 65 with a creaky again he would nonetheless be welcomed to play, turned into handiest the second one participant that age to wreck par. {Couples} holed out from the green at the 14th with a 6-iron hybrid on his method to a 71. Tom Watson used to be additionally 65 — through 28 days he’s nonetheless the oldest — when he shot 71 in 2015.
The horror display belonged to Nick Dunlap, a 21-year-old who closing 12 months received at the PGA Excursion as an novice. This should have felt like novice hour when he made double bogey at the ultimate gap for a 90. It used to be the perfect ranking since Ben Crenshaw shot 91 in 2015 at age 63.
| 12 months | Ranking | Up By means of | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | -7 | 3 | ??? |
| 2021 | -7 | 4 | seventh |
| 2008 | -4 | Tied | T-Thirty sixth |
| 2007 | -3 | Tied | T-Fifth |
| 2004 | -5 | 2 | T-Twenty second |
Hideki Matsuyama would possibly have stuck the worst damage when his way at the par-5 thirteenth hit the pin and caromed into the tributary of Rae’s Creek. The wildest day belonged to Nicolai Højgaard — one eagle, 5 birdies, 4 pars, 5 bogeys and 3 double bogeys. Do the mathematics and that provides as much as a 76.
“It is mentally draining enjoying a spherical like this,” Højgaard stated.
After which there used to be McIlroy, chipping into the water from at the back of the fifteenth inexperienced for double bogey, after which going lengthy at the seventeenth and compounding that mistake with a three-putt for some other double bogey.
Way more completely satisfied on a heat spring day used to be Rose, who at one level had it going so neatly that he felt like a glass throwing a no-hitter.
He pitched to six toes for birdie at the par-5 8th. He hit wedge to the 9th and used the slope to arrange a 5-foot birdie, giving him a career-low 31 at the entrance 9. That used to be adopted through a 12-foot birdie putt.
“That is when the day felt a little other. That is once I felt I used to be doing one thing doubtlessly extra at the particular aspect,” Rose stated.
After which he in reality started to drag away with a wise pitch clear of the water to arrange a 10-foot birdie at the fifteenth, adopted through a 20-foot birdie at the par-3 sixteenth. The pins at the ultimate two holes allowed for birdies and Rose used to be pondering tremendous particular. As a substitute, he produced par-bogey and it did not destroy his temper.
The common ranking used to be 73.6. Simplest six gamers broke 70, and 20 others broke par.
“General, nice day,” Rose stated. “I performed numerous golfing right here at Augusta Nationwide. With the intention to come away with my equivalent highest ranking is indubitably an success for me.”
