Only a dozen players managed to break par in the opening round of the Masters.
No one was close to Justin Rose.
The 40-year-old Englishman has a commanding four-stroke lead after a blistering 7-under 65. He began his surge with an eagle at No. 8 and played the final 11 holes at 9 under, shooting 30 on the back side.
Brian Harman and Hideki Matsuyama are the only other players in the 60s. Both posted 69 on a day when many top players struggled with the rock-hard greens and a breeze that howled at times.
This is a familiar position for Rose, who has the first-round lead for the fourth time in his Masters career. He’s never won the green jacket, settling for a pair of runner-up finishes.
“Even though I don’t have an arm in the jacket yet, I’ve been there to see what it’s all about,” Rose said. “I kind of want to keep things in perspective a little bit until I can’t ignore it anymore.”