The Japan Times - Scheffler, Rose to chase McIlroy with early Masters starts

Defending champion McIlroy, trying to become only the fourth golfer to capture back-to-back Masters titles, and Burns were on five-under par 67 after 18 holes.

With magical escapes from the trees that would have made Spanish legend Seve Ballesteros proud, five-time major winner McIlroy managed his second-best Masters start despite finding only five of 14 fairways, just one on the front nine.

"The first seven holes were really important, that I played them in par," McIlroy said. "I made some good swings from where I found myself."

Burns, the 54-hole leader at last year's US Open, managed his lowest round in 13 at Augusta National despite the firm greens.

"They're only going to get firmer," Burns said. "As the golf course speeds up, it only gets more difficult out there, and I think it's going to be a really good test."

Past champion Patrick Reed, fellow American Kurt Kitayama and Australian Jason Day shared third on 69 and like the co-leaders were set for afternoon starts on the firm and fast layout.

That left the early stage to 2013 US Open champion Rose, a three-time Masters runner-up who lost to McIlroy in a playoff last year, and four-time major winner Scheffler, who seeks his third green jacket in five seasons.

Both are three adrift in a pack on 70 that also includes later starters Shane Lowry, the 2019 British Open champion from Ireland, and 10th-ranked Xander Schauffele, a US two-time major winner seeking his first Masters crown.

Scheffler, the 2022 and 2024 Masters winner, went eagle-birdie at the par-five second and par-four third holes, but couldn't get lower in afternoon heat on hardened greens, settling for pars at the par-five 13th and 15th holes but expecting better conditions on Friday morning.

"I played pretty solid. A lot of good stuff," Scheffler said. "I hit it nice, made some good iron shots, but it got so firm late in the day, it was pretty challenging."

Rose delivered five birdies in his opening round, four of them on Augusta's par-five holes, but closed with back-to-back bogeys to stumble from the heels of the leaders.

"Every hole you're just being patient through experience, knowing that grinding out the pars is a good thing," Rose said. "Just eating up the holes is a good thing."

The holes ate hopefuls as well with some big names struggling to make Friday's cut to the low 50 and ties.

Scotsman Robert MacIntyre shared 82nd on 80 with Spain's Jon Rahm, a two-time major winner, on 78 and two-time US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau on 76 in a share of 56th.

Rose expects Augusta National will remain a test of patience as well as shotmaking with lightning-fast greens.

"I can't even point to anywhere where you can be aggressive," he said.

"I think it's in their control really how they want it to be... when it gets completely rock hard and you can't access any pin anywhere, then a lot of good shot-making is taken out of the equation."

Y.Watanabe--JT