Justin Rose has been in this position as the first-round leader of the Masters. But can he handle the situation better than he did the last time?
Rose opened the 2021 Masters with a career-best 65 to take the solo lead. He held the lead at the midway point after shooting 72, slipped into a tie for second place after a third-round 72 and fell into seventh after a 74 on Sunday. He wound up five shots behind winner Hideki Matsuyama.
His closest call came in 2017 when he shot 67-69 on the weekend but lost in a playoff to Sergio Garcia.
“I feel like I’ve played well enough to win this tournament,” Rose said. “I just feel like I don’t have the jacket to prove it.”
Rose has had success in pressure situations. He won the 2013 U.S. Open and the 2016 Olympic gold medal, and he has competed on six Ryder Cup teams.
But at age 44 — and running out of chances — can he deal with the heat of the Masters?
Scheffler’s steadiness on display again
Scottie Scheffler began the defense of his Masters championship with a bogey-free 68 on Friday.
Scheffler hasn’t led wire-to-wire in either of his two victories, but he’s been close to the top both times; he was tied for third after a 69 in 2022 and was second after an opening 66 in 2024. In both instances he took the 36-hole lead and won both times going away.
No tariffs on Canadian export Conners
Corey Conners turned professional after finishing second at the 2014 U.S. Amateur at the Atlanta Athletic Club. The Canadian has won twice on the PGA Tour and tied for sixth at the 2022 Masters, his best finish in a major. His 68 was his lowest opening-round score at Augusta.
Who will play the weekend?
The low 50 and ties after 36 holes will qualify for the weekend. Last year, the cut was a score of 150, the highest it has been since 2016, and 60 players in the 89-man field advanced.
After this year’s first round there were 50 players tied at 1-over 73. If that trend holds, the cut will come around 2- or 3-over.
A cut was instituted in 1957, with the low 40 and ties advancing. From 1962-2012 it was the low 40 and anyone within 10 shots of the lead. From 2013-19, it grew to the low 50 and anyone within 10 shots of the lead. The current standard began in 2020.
What big names could miss the cut?
Jon Rahm, the 2023 Masters champion, is in the most trouble. The Spaniard opened with a 75 and showed visible anger at times. Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson also shot 75 and had his head down as he walked to the scoring area after making bogey on the final two holes.
Others who are in danger of an early exit are Tony Finau (75), Billy Horschel (77), Lucas Glover (78) and Russell Henley (79).
Who will be low amateur?
Georgia Tech’s Hiroshi Tai opened the Masters with a 1-over 73 and is the low amateur after the first round. Tai, who qualified for the tournament by winning the NCAA championship last summer, birdied the final hole and is in line to make the cut, something no Tech amateur has done since Matt Kuchar in 1998.
U.S. Open champion Jose Luis Ballester of Spain and Latin American Amateur champion Justin Hastings both opened with 76s.
The golden oldies
Fred Couples, 65, and Bernhard Langer, 67, are both in position to make the cut.
Couples, playing in his 40th Masters, opened with a 71. He did the same thing in 2022 and broke Langer’s record for the oldest player to make the cut. Langer, who announced this would be his final Masters as a competitor, shot 74.
Rain possible for Friday’s round
There is a 60% chance of showers and isolated thunderstorm overnight, with a 40% chance of lingering scattered showers between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. The forecast is for mostly cloudy conditions becoming partly cloudy and breezy, with a 40% chance of showers and a few thunderstorms after 2 p.m. The high temperature is forecast to be 71 degrees.
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