Australia’s Jason Day has wowed the Georgia galleries with a blinding show of shot-making to thrust himself firmly into the body for a maiden Masters inexperienced jacket, whereas 2013 champion Adam Scott shone with an eagle on the thirteenth gap.
Day carved out a cool and picked up first-round three-under-par 69 to guide the Australian problem and sit simply two photographs behind early clubhouse leaders Sam Burns and reigning champion Rory McIlroy.
After reaching the flip in even par, Day beat up Amen Nook with birdies and 12 and 13 earlier than pulling off a contender for shot of the day on 14 to maintain the momentum going.
“Oh wow, unreal, J Day!” followers gasped after the previous runner-up lasered an eight iron by means of half-a-dozen tree branches to scramble for a spectacular par.
“I had 153 yards to the pin. Wind was in out of the left. We had about 3 to 4 yards of spin with one other 7-ish yards of damage. So we’re simply attempting to hit an enormous excessive lower,” Day stated.
“Typically in these situations it is popping out of first lower, if you happen to contact improper with it, it might fly straight by means of and you do not get the lower. Simply comes out like a flyer, so it was essential to slice throughout it.”
Two clutch putts on 17 and 18 left Day delighted as the remainder of the four-strong Australian contingent struggled within the baking scorching situations at Augusta Nationwide.
He’s pursuing Burns, whose finest main end was a tie for seventh finally 12 months’s US Open, and McIlroy, aiming to turn out to be the primary back-to-back Masters champion since Tiger Woods in 2001-02.
Rory McIlroy feels much more comfy at Augusta with the 2025 title beside his identify. (Getty Photos: Kohjiro Kinno/Augusta Nationwide)
“I feel profitable a Masters makes it simpler to win your second one. I do,” McIlroy stated after carding six birdies and a bogey.
“It is onerous to say as a result of there are nonetheless photographs on the market that you just really feel just a little bit tight with and also you simply have to face up and commit to creating a great swing and never fear about actually the place it goes.
“However I feel it is simpler for me to make these swings and never fear about the place it goes after I know that I can go to the Champions Locker Room and put my inexperienced jacket on on the finish of the day.”
Scott was the subsequent better of the Australians thanks in no small half to his eagle on the thirteenth, which got here after a birdie on 12 to assist him recuperate from a entrance 9 that included three bogeys.
Enjoying his twenty fifth Masters, Scott in the end completed 5 photographs off the lead with an even-par 72 after going bogey-birdie on 15 and 16, and ending his spherical hitting two bunkers and bogeying the final.
“I want I’d have completed underneath par at the moment,” the 45-year-old stated.
“I do not know why that one shot higher looks like such a greater accomplishment than even however it does, the pink quantity.
“However I am proper there. I did not shoot myself out of it. That is what majors are form of all about typically. Then you definately look to make the most of your good things the subsequent few days.”
Adam Scott was 2-over after the entrance 9, however recovered on 12 and 13. (Getty Photos: Andrew Redington)
Scott was one in all a lot of gamers to card an eagle on the primary day at Augusta, together with two-time winner Scottie Scheffler, Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard, and Day’s taking part in accomplice Shane Lowry, who additionally eagled 13.
However the very best of the lot was American Patrick Reed, who began birdie-eagle and sank a protracted putt on the eighth to turn out to be simply the second participant in Masters historical past to begin his event with a pair of eagles on his first 9 holes.
Enjoying one group behind Scott, Aussie primary Min Woo Lee performed the polar reverse to his compatriot on the par-five thirteenth after launching his drive out of bounds, failing to get onto the inexperienced out of the bunker together with his third shot, then lipping out a brief bogey putt.
That double got here after 4 bogeys in his first 10 holes as he ultimately slipped to six-over-par for the opening spherical, matching 66-year-old taking part in accomplice Fred {Couples}.
{Couples} gained his one and solely main on the 1992 Masters, six years earlier than Lee was born, and so they each struggled to 78s this time round, though the American was in much better form till a quadruple bogey on 15 was adopted by a pair of doubles to shut out the spherical.
In the meantime, Cameron Smith declared he was “undoubtedly not out of the event” after bogeying the final two holes in a two-over 74.
Predicting brutal situations for the remainder of the event, former world primary Day is satisfied to have performed himself into early competition.
“Simply is determined by what they need. If they need single digits to win, it will be baked out and quick and guys can be form of spewing on themselves on the market. Be actually tough,” he stated.
“So if they need, they will undoubtedly soften it out if they should. It will be attention-grabbing. It may be a great problem regardless.”
AAP/ABC
