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Rose, Immelman take charge
11/04/2008 07:20 - (SA)
Augusta - Britain's Justin Rose reeled off six birdies in eight holes to share the early lead at the US Masters with SA's Trevor Immelman while Tiger Woods laboured to stay in touch on Thursday.
Rose shrugged off two early bogeys to fire a four-under-par
68 in the opening round on a soft Augusta National layout
playing extra long.
The 27-year-old Englishman launched his sizzling run at the
par-three sixth before ending the day level with South African
Trevor Immelman, who missed a 10-footer at the last for a 67.
World number one and four-times champion Woods, seeking his
14th major title, parred the first 12 holes before going bogey,
bogey, eagle on his way to an opening 72.
Rose, who tied for fifth at last year's Masters, was
delighted to rebound from his faltering start.
"I didn't feel that comfortable out there on the course but I made a great swing into six, hit it to five or six feet," the world number nine told reporters.
First time
"From the tee, it looked like I was close then I went up
there and it was a little farther than I would have liked. I
hadn't putted well the first few holes, but making that slippery little putt settled me down."
Rose, who clinched the European Tour order of merit for the
first time last year by winning the season-ending Volvo Masters,
refused to get carried away with his first round effort.
"Being in the lead on day one, it really means nothing," he said. "You can't win the tournament the first day, you can only lose it. I haven't lost it, so it's a great day."
Woods, who has set his sights on becoming the first professional to achieve a calendar slam of the four majors,
scrambled to stay level after 12 holes before bogeying 13 and
14.
However, he chipped in from behind the green to eagle the
par-five 15th before parring the last two holes to finish four
strokes off the early pace.
"I didn't really get anything going my way today," the 32-year-old American said. "I played a lot better than what my score indicates. I hit a lot of good putts, nothing really went. I just had to stay patient out there.
Spectacularly
"The way the golf course plays now, you don't really shoot low rounds here any more. You've just got to plod along. It's playing more like a US Open than it is a Masters."
Britain's Ian Poulter spectacularly aced the par-three 16th on his way to an opening 70 in his fourth Masters appearance.
The 32-year-old Englishman holed out with an eight-iron from
169 yards to get to three under before slipping back with a
bogey-par finish.
"It was probably one of the best rounds of golf I have ever played," said Poulter, who birdied the par-five second before electrifying the huge crowd packed around the 16th.
"I flushed it," the seven-times European Tour winner said of his ace. "As soon as it left the club, I knew it was going to be pretty good.
"It was an unbelievable buzz. You've got a few thousand people on the left-hand side so it was a special moment and the hairs on the back of your neck were standing up."
Among the other big names, twice Masters champion Phil
Mickelson was one under after 12 holes and Ireland's Padraig
Harrington, winner of last year's British Open, opened with a
74.
- Reuters
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