Augusta, Ga. – Justin Rose managed to steal the attention of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McILroy in the Masters by joining his personal record at Augusta National with a 75 -mine for a three -stroke advance in the first major of the year.
Scheffler did his part in his attempt to win a third Masters Green Jacket in four years, playing a round without Bogey of 68.
McILroy, so desperate to win this adult and finish the big career chelem, was there with him until the end. He took a pair of double bogys late in the afternoon with reckless mistakes and had to be satisfied with a 72. It was the seventh consecutive time that he failed to break 70 when the Masters opened.
Rose broke out doors with three straight birdies. He added three others to the tour of the Tour du Tour. He went to a round of almost 10 shots better than the average of the terrain until a poor blow in the trees leads to his only Bogey at the last hole.
Never mind. It was a reminder to Rose, which finished with only 22 putts, that his good golf course is always very good.
“I am 44 years old. Golf will not become easier for me in the next five, 10 years, anyway,” said Rose. “So your opportunity is less in the future. So you have to get the most out of it.”
Rose has established a masters record: it was the fifth time that he has at least a share of the 18 -hole advance, breaking the brand held by Jack Nicklaus. The blatant difference, of course, is that Nicklaus has six of these green jackets.
It was also the eighth time that Rose had at least a share of the head after all turn to Augusta National, which only five others did. All are champions of masters.
“I have the impression of having played well enough to win this tournament,” said Rose, the best chance of which was a loss in playoffs against Sergio Garcia in 2017. “I just have the impression that I do not have the jacket to prove it. … But you have to play golf to continue to create these opportunities, and the only way to do it is to make a name for you
Scheffler had 3 under the Tour, including a birdie on the eighth par-5 in which his ball was deeply in a divot hole short of the green. He managed to get out about 20 feet from the spindle and used the slope to bring it to 15 feet and made the putt.
“I fought for what looked like two pars today,” said Scheffler, “apart from that, the golf course was in front of me most of the day, kept the ball in play, did a lot of very good things.”
Corey Conners of Canada Blinda has his last two holes for a 68, and he and Scheffler were joined by Ludvig Åberg, the Super Swede who was a finalist in Scheffler during his early beginnings a year ago.
The United States Open Champion Bryson Dechambeau and Tyrrell Hatton wore the Golf Liv flag, both at 69 years old. Dechambeau had seven birdies in his day from top to bottom, a spectacle of his notation power.
“Make bogeys for me probably frees me a little and says:” What do you know? Get out and play the “” golf, said Dechambeau.
The roars came early, with a few shocks.
Fred Couples, who wondered a month ago if at 65 with a grumpy back, he would always be welcomed to play, only owed the second player at the age of the break. Couples came out of the Fairway on 14 with a 6 -iron hybrid on his way to a 71. Tom Watson was also 65 years old – by 28 days, he is still the oldest – when he pulled 71 in 2015.
The horror show belonged to Nick Dunlap, a 21 -year -old man who won the PGA Tour as an amateur last year. This had to look like amateur time when he made a double bogey on the final hole for a 90. It was the highest score since Ben Crenshaw pulled 91 in 2015 at the age of 63.
Hideki Matsuyama could have taken the worst break when his approach on the 13th 13th hit the spit and was carved in the tributary of Rae’s Creek. The craziest day belonged to Nicolai Højgaard – one eagle, five birdies, four pars, five bogeys and three double bogeys. Do the calculation and this is added to a 76.
“He mentally drainage to play a tour like this,” said Højgaard.
And then there was McILroy, shaking in the water behind the 15th green for Double Bogey, then going for a long time on the 17th and aggravating this error with a three shots for another double Bogey.
Much more happiness by a hot spring day was pink, which, at one point, had passed so well that he felt like a launcher throwing a boost.
He launched 6 feet for birdie on the eighth par-5. He struck the ninth and used the slope to install a 5 -foot birdie, giving him a 31 career on the first nine. This was followed by a 12 -foot Birdie putt.
“It was then that the day was a little different. It was then that I felt that I was doing something potentially more on the special side,” said Rose.
And then he really started to withdraw with smart water to install a 10-foot step on the 15th, followed by a 20-feet birdie on the 16th par-3. The pins on the last two holes allowed Birdies and Rose thought super special. Instead, he produced Par-Bogey and it did not spoil his mood.
The average score was 73.6. Only six players broke 70 and 20 others broke out.
“Overall, a good day,” said Rose. “I played a lot of golf here at Augusta National. So, leaving with my best score is certainly a success for me.”
