Justin Rose became a Masters record-breaker, as a blistering first round 65 took him clear of Jack Nicklaus as the greatest front-runner Augusta has ever seen.
But Rory McIlroy suffered another mini-Masters meltdown, and after snapping at Rose’s heels for a while, he already finds himself playing catch-up, seven shots off the lead.
Rory McIlroy’s frustration was clear to see[/caption]
Jack Nicklaus saw Rose go clear of him with a landmark achievement[/caption]
Before this sensational seven under par effort Rose was tied with six-time champion Nicklaus for the most first round leads at the Masters – four apiece.
But the English golfer made the record all his own, as he equalled his best score in 71 outings at Augusta, a the 65 that gave him the outright lead after day one of the 2021 Masters.
It looked like being a shot better until he slipped to his only bogey of the day at the 18th.
But it still provided a massive boost to his hopes of improving on his second place finishes in 2015 and 2017, when he was edged out in a play-off by Sergio Garcia.
And Rose’s disappointment at his only blip was nothing compared to the look of horror that settled on Rory McIlroy’s face, as his own charge towards the top of the leaderboard sank into the lake guarding the 15th green.
At four under par with four holes to play, McIlroy was still in with a chance of overhauling his Ryder Cup team-mate, and snatching the first round lead.
Those hopes were still alive as the world No 2 hit his second shot over the green at the long 15th, leaving a decent shot at an up and down for birdie.
But he made a real mess of his chip, sending it scuttling through the green and into the water.
Rose launched his title bid with birdies on the first three holes[/caption]
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McIlroy shot pained glances at his club and the turf he had just hit from. But they were blameless. This was a pure case of human error.
He was forced to cross the bridge bordering the 15th green ato play another chip from the drop zone. That one was not much better, staying dry but settling more than thirty feet from the flag.
It led to an excruciating double bogey. And after 14 holes without a hint of a bogey, McIlroy was clearly rattled.
When he airmailed the green and followed up with another iffy chip, it resulted in a second double bogey.
This was not quite on the scale of McIlroy’s infamous Masters disaster of 2011, when a final round 80 saw him blow a four shot lead. But it felt a bit like it at times over the closing holes.
At level par he is still in with a squeak- just – although he needs to go low on day two to have a realistic chance.
But if his latest attempt to complete the career Grand Slam ends in failure, yet again, that chip at 15 will surely haunt his dreams for at least the next 12 months.
Rose’s form this year has been erratic, with a share of third at Pebble Beach and a top ten at Bay Hill sandwiched by three missed cuts.
But Rose, 44, showed he still has what it takes to add to his 2013 US Open win when he almost chased down Xander Schauffele in last year’s Open at Troon, finishing joint runner-up with Billy Horschel.
He made a dream start to his 20th Masters with birdies at each of the opening three holes.
Two more birdies followed at eight and nine as he covered the front nine in 31 shots, just one short of the tournament record.
And further gains at 15 and 16 saw him entre the clubhouse four shots clear of world No 1 Scottie Scheffler, last year’s runner-up Ludvig Aberg, and Corey Conners.
Scheffler had earlier opened his title defence with an almighty bang, sinking a 62 feet putt for an outrageous birdie.
Scottie Scheffler made it four sub-70 opening rounds in a row[/caption]
And he followed it with another ‘bomb’ from 42 feet near the end of his round, to underline just how difficult it is going to be to deny him a third Augusta triumph in the last four years.
The Texan had the decency to look slightly embarrassed after those putts dropped, He knew he had just been handed a couple of huge bonuses as he bids to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters.
The three men to have achieved that are all Augusta legends – Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Nick Faldo, a three-ball who have stockpiled 14 green jackets between them.
Scheffler, 28, is playing only his sixth Masters, but he has already established himself as an Augusta specialist.
He won here in 2022 as well as last year, and is yet to finish outside the top twenty. And he had failed to shoot par or better just twice in his previous 24 rounds.
His 68 was the fourth successive time Scheffler has started with a score in the sixties, and he is a combined 17 under par for those opening rounds.
His trademark is that he makes far fewer mistakes than anyone else in the game. If you want that green jacket, he is not going to give it away – you have to come and get it.
Rose is clearly up for that challenge. Is Rory? We’ll see.
Who are golf’s most famous Wags?
The world’s top golfers enjoy an incredible lifestyle – and their Wags lead thrilling lives of their own.
Here are some of the most high-profile beauties…
- This former beauty pageant contestant is now an actress and featured in Sharknado 5.
- The daughter of an ice hockey legend who has been branded the ‘world’s sexiest caddie’.
- A Master golfer raced home from his most recent triumph to be by his wife’s side as she gave birth to their first child.
- An athlete who vaulted her way into a modelling career – and her golfer hubby’s heart.
- A keen tennis player and former competitor in the javelin lived with her ex-world No1 husband for two years before getting together.
- Playing off a handicap of three, this sports reporter could give her fella a run for his money on the greens.
- This low-key beauty got married to a superstar golfer in front of Stevie Wonder, Chris Martin and Niall Horan.
- A former gymnast who has been her husband’s rock for 14 years – he even pays tribute to her on his golf balls.