AUGUSTA, Ga. — Two weeks ago, Justin Rose, Trevor Immelman and Ian Poulter shared flights and companionship during a two-day reconnaissance of Augusta National. Considering the first-round leader board at the 72nd Masters, perhaps the final member of their foursome was Bobby Jones.
The international trio combined to play Jones’ architectural vision in 10-under yesterday, capitalizing on benign conditions on the 7,445-yard, par-72 layout.
“It’s a great coincidence,” said Immelman, the 28-year-old South African who posted a bogey-free 68 to join Rose atop the opening-round board at 4 under.
On the second day of the Tavistock Cup on March 25, an informal series of Ryder Cup-style matches between members of rival Orlando clubs Lake Nona and Isleworth, transplanted Brits Rose and Poulter (70) asked their Lake Nona neighbor, Immelman, whether he would like to accompany them on the 36-hole, overnight trip to Augusta later that week to prep for the upcoming Masters.
The trio arrived March 28 in time for an afternoon round, grabbed dinner at famed local steakhouse TBonz and returned to Augusta National early the next morning for another day of swapping shots, stories and course info.
“We just had a fantastic time,” said Immelman, who tied for fifth at the 2005 Masters. “We did a lot of chipping and putting around the greens and shared our knowledge with each other. … It was kind of like three kids going to your favorite golf course playing golf. It was an awesome couple of days.”
Rose is oddly accustomed to celebrating awesome Thursdays at the Masters. Though the 27-year-old Brit has never won a tournament on U.S. soil, Rose has led the Masters through one round in his last three starts in the event (also 2004 and 2007).
“I seem to [hit] the home run early,” Rose said of his field-best 69.25 first-round average at Augusta National. “I don’t know [why I play well here on Thursday] exactly. … I think the early part of the year you set your schedule up around it, trying to peak for this event. And I feel that I was kind of doing that. I knew my game was getting close, and the extra atmosphere and adrenaline and nerves sort of brought out the best in me.”
Though Rose is still waiting for his breakout U.S. victory, few players have performed at a more consistently high level over the last two seasons. Last season, Rose collected seven top-10s en route to finishing 19th on the money list with more than $2.7 million in earnings. He arrived at Augusta National this week off of three straight top-15 finishes. He has matured as a major performer; after slipping to a tie for 22nd in 2004 after a Thursday-best 67, he backed up last year’s hot start with a tie for fifth. Rose and even-odds favorite Tiger Woods are the only two players who recorded top-12 finishes at each of last season’s four majors.
Something of the anti-Rose when it comes to Masters starts, Woods struggled somewhat by his standards yet again in yesterday’s opener. He carded a level-par 72 without a birdie. The 32-year-old posted a round-salvaging eagle at the par-5 15th, chipping in from behind the green to balance consecutive bogeys at Nos. 13 and 14.
Given as short as 12-1 odds to win the Grand Slam this season, the 13-time major champion cast the layout in a more difficult light after a grinding first round that only slightly bettered his opening-round average at Augusta National (72.64).
“It’s playing more like a U.S. Open than a Masters,” Woods said. “There was really only one roar I heard out there all day, and that was Poulter’s [ace at No. 16].”
Though Woods hasn’t posted a score in the 60s in 10 consecutive competitive trips around the layout once considered to suit him, few would make the grievous error of writing off the owner of four green jackets after yesterday’s indifferent debut. In 2005, when he added the last of those 42-longs to his wardrobe, Woods opened with a 74 that left him seven strokes adrift of the lead.
“With the weather supposed to be getting more difficult as the week goes on, I’m right there,” Woods said, reciting a familiar mantra, as the event braces for an influx of windy, wet weather over the weekend. “There’s nothing wrong with a 72. I kept myself in the tournament.”
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