Augusta, Ga. They were separate worlds in the figurative sense. On the hill on the n ° 11 looking on the surface below, the two stood while the wind was whipped in the corner in the middle of a crisp and crisp day of a difficult score.
Scheffler stole his approach to green fat and left with par. McILroy’s attempt came into the high heavens; He could only look while he was flowing towards an aqueous grave, his green jacket the chances with her. McILroy then signed a 77. Scheffler then claimed his second green jacket in only three years a few days later.
McILroy was standing at the top of the same hill Thursday in the middle of a ranking which was then overcome by the same man. Only a year withdrawn from his last start disappointing at his quest for master’s degree, McILroy looked like worlds outside this version of himself … until he does not do it.
While Augusta National is filled with happy memories for some, nightmares for others, which is sometimes forgotten is who it can transform you. What it can make you think. What it can make you do.
This version of McILroy had apparently left for a long time – at least that’s what the first three months of the 2025 season suggested. He reappeared Thursday evening in the worst times.
The Northern Irishman opened his masters in 2025 with a 72 peer-spolate to sit seven blows behind the leader of the first Tour Justin Rose. On paper, the score is actually improving its average rating in the first round during its quest for the Grand Chelem in a career and has marked the third time that since 2018 that it has carded a peer round or better on Thursday.
But this game is not played on paper, especially with regard to McILroy at Masters.
The quadruple major champion rose as deeply as 4 sous and seemed that he could not hurt. By turning 3 Under, he sailed on Amen Corner in an expert manner thanks to a magnificent flight at the top of the hill on the No. 11 and a short Sawed Saved on the Diabish.
He let his distance speak in the turn of the 13th par-5 and cemented during this short section of three holes that his game is no longer what he was in his last 10 walks around Augusta National. The physical tools are different. The course management even more. The slow begins the blocks left to them.
And then the waste ensued. After three hours to remind us of what Rory McILroy is capable of doing to Augusta National, we were told what Augusta National can do to Rory McILroy.
A perfect image of the first 14 holes turned into a work of morbid art in 30 minutes. The brush strokes were no longer light and free but filled with anxiety, violence and thoughts of the past. Although the canvas remained virgin, the artist was no longer the same.
Standing in the 15th Fairway, McILroy held firm at 4 sous. Leaving the 18th green, it collapsed even.
After hitting his approach in the 15th by 5 on the green and watching him roll on the rear edge, McILroy had to think four. Instead, he was welcomed with a seven when he chipped his third in the water and failed to get up and descend for Bogey on the other side of the water.
Some damage was caused, of course, but still standing at 2 sous, McILroy was far from being out of the frame. And he may still have a chance – in all honesty – but he really had the impression that his tournament took place after what happened on the 17th.
Finding the first cut of the tee, McILroy discovered why many suggest not to miss this green. His approach landed in front of the location of the rear pin and went below the surface beyond. An aggressive chip was struck with too much mustard; His peer tries the same thing. Putt sank at 6 feet later. This led to a double and another double bogey.
A peer on the last one put the final touch of the disappointing day of McILroy who led to a score of almost two strokes better than the average on the field. Most tournaments, he would find comfort in there. He would take good with the bad and knew that there are still 54 holes to go. This 2025 version of itself can hunt anyone from seven back. This version of Rory is different.
But to the masters? At the Augusta National Golf Club? With a chance to end the Grand Chelem career?
Maybe it’s not that Rory.
The rose makes the clock back
Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player combined to win 13 masters. None of them led or co-directed after the first round as many times as Rose, which now has the record of the tournament with five of these advantages. The Englishman was simply sensational around Augusta National Thursday – especially on the Greens where more than five shots won on the field while he reached 8 under his first 16 holes before a defect last.
Rose did almost everything but put on this green jacket. The prospects of the first round are notable, yes, but the playoffs with Sergio Garcia in 2017 arrive at the top of the mind. He knows how to make his way back on this property, and he knows that his game is still good enough to win a major championship at 44 years.
Although the opportunities can be inferior, as Rose admitted after its round, which is most important is that they always arrive. The former US Open champion supported not in one but two major championships last year highlighted by the finalist result at Xander Schauffele in the open championship of Royal Too.
Does the fence window add more pressure … or does it add more appreciation?
For Rose – the big winner, the former world n ° 1, owner of an Olympic gold medal – he says that everything is up here.
“I think you always feel self-pressure to add more. I think I could make a statement with the way I played well in my career,” Rose said. “It is an excellent opportunity, however, for me, not pressure. I think that to answer your question, yes, I see all this as up now. I think my curriculum vitae is well completed. There are some big blatant gaps. Obviously, three major championships that I have not won. Perhaps a championship of players too.
“So, there are tons of opportunity to do things that I have never done before, but the big titles are in a way in place for me. So I should use it as freedom to seize these opportunities and use them for somewhat free wheel and use everything as upwards.”
The champion is there
Augusta National likes her former champions, and that could not have been made more apparent after The opening 68 of Scheffler Thursday morning. Methodically choosing your places, knowing when to alleviate gas and trusting a different field from your game, the world n ° 1 has made its performance of 4 under the highest score that it could have signed.
Customers approved.
To look like a father making a bad joke, it was masterful, and he positioned it to do what few have ever done before. Scheffler is looking to become the first golfer from Tiger Woods and the fourth to have been consecutive to Augusta National. He also tries to join Jack Nicklaus and become the second player to slide the green jacket three times in a four -year window.
“It’s funny because it’s a golf course where there are a lot of opportunities,” said Scheffler about the proximity of the head. “There are a lot of opportunities this weekend. There are a lot of opportunities on Sunday with where they put the pins. I am a little surprised that it is like that, but I would not say that it cannot be done.”
Å boy, that’s again
The disappearance of Ludvig Åberg may have been very exaggerated. Completing a finalist during his beginnings at Angc last year, the Swedish superstar entered this year’s tournament. Freshly out of two missed cuts, Åberg did not miss a beat in its opening refrain.
He played his first 11 peer holes, then caught fire in the section. Åberg struck beautiful palpeers in two n ° 12-13 to install birdies and went from top to bottom in the middle of the disappearance of McILroy and shortly after Patrick Cantlay did the same. The birdie on the last served as a good reminder: this child East different. (Calling him Kid can be disrespectful at this stage.)
“Augusta is a place where experience plays a big role and knows where to leave it,” said Åberg. “I’m sure we are going to see different winds and pins for last year, which will be more in the kind of experience, if you want. Yes, I can’t wait to get more experience on the golf course, and play in this tournament at this place is always a treat.”
Hatton or hat?
The grouping of Tyrrell Hatton, Jordan Spieth and Tom Kim went up the short par-4 3rd with degrees of various stress. Speith was accompanied (so peer for the course), Kim moved after his tee shot took place and rebounded against the shoe of a spotter. Hatton seemed to receive the worst news from his life when his hat was removed and he was rubbing the top of his head.
This news turned out to be a start of 1 sous.
The Englishman continued to carry his cap in hand between the shots, and he continued to work for him. A year after deploring the configuration and the conditions (therefore peer for the course, like Spieth), Hatton has an excellent opportunity after an opening of 69 to overcome its fabricated demons.
“I don’t know if I worked on my patience. I think it depends on what side of the bed I go out, if I have a little or not, said Hatton.” Obviously, it was a good day – led the ball fairly well, which went in the years that had trouble. Last year, obviously, was my best finish, and I said that this week, I felt like I couldn’t lead the ball much better than what I did.
“It was nice to go there today and play a fairly solid tour. Of course, I’m disappointed to do Bogey on the 17th. I don’t feel like I was doing a lot of trouble there. But I think it’s a bit of this place.
The big
The leader of the first round a season ago, Bryson Dechambeau is back. Although this is not the 65 of 2024, its opening 69 puts it to the thickness. He was also far from a pony in a turn, which should also attract the confidence of the Dechambeau camp while he won in the bag and remains hard as a last man in the training zone on Thursday evening.
The question of whether the rain falls in Friday morning may not be a big problem for some, but it could be notable for the double major champion. He fought significantly on and around the Greens during the weekend of the championship last year. With players who already comment, it is as firm, fast and smooth that they saw this place Thursday, all humidity in the Greens – although it is a distant memory of Saturday and Sunday – plays in the hands of Dechambeau.
