Rose blitzes Augusta as McIlroy suffers late collapse

Two-time runner-up Justin Rose equalled his lowest round at Augusta National as Rory McIlroy suffered a nightmare finish on day one of the 89th Masters.

- PHIL CASEY

McIlroy ran up double bogeys on the 15th and 17th as he stumbled to a potentially ruinous 72 in his 11th attempt to claim a green jacket and complete the career grand slam.

In stark contrast, Rose had the course record of 63 in his sights after picking up his eighth birdie of the day on the 16th, but had to scramble for par on the next and bogeyed the last to card an opening seven-under-par 65.

That gave the former US Open winner a three-shot lead over defending champion Scottie Scheffler, 2024 runner-up Ludvig Aberg and Canada’s Corey Conners, with Tyrrell Hatton and Bryson DeChambeau another shot back.

It also ensured the 44-year-old ended the first round in the lead for the fifth time in his career, breaking the record he had shared with six-time champion Jack Nicklaus since also shooting 65 in 2021.

“Typically day one they set the course up quite difficult so I went out there trying to be patient and just got off to a flyer,” said Rose, who birdied the first three holes, made another hat-trick of gains from the eighth and also birdied the 15th and 16th.