Source : ABC NEWS
Australia’s Jason Day has wowed the Georgia galleries with a dazzling display of shot-making to thrust himself firmly into the frame for a maiden Masters green jacket, while 2013 champion Adam Scott shone with an eagle on the 13th hole.
Day carved out a cool and collected first-round three-under-par 69 to lead the Australian challenge and sit just two shots behind early clubhouse leaders Sam Burns and reigning champion Rory McIlroy.
After reaching the turn in even par, Day beat up Amen Corner with birdies and 12 and 13 before pulling off a contender for shot of the day on 14 to keep the momentum going.
“Oh wow, unreal, J Day!” fans gasped after the former runner-up lasered an eight iron through 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 another 7-ish yards of hurt. So we are just trying to hit a big high cut,” Day said.
“Sometimes in those scenarios it’s coming out of first cut, if you contact wrong with it, it can fly straight through and you don’t get the cut. Just comes out like a flyer, so it was important to slice across it.”
Two clutch putts on 17 and 18 left Day delighted as the rest of the four-strong Australian contingent struggled in the baking hot conditions at Augusta National.
He is pursuing Burns, whose best major finish was a tie for seventh at last year’s US Open, and McIlroy, aiming to become the first back-to-back Masters champion since Tiger Woods in 2001-02.
Rory McIlroy feels a lot more comfortable at Augusta with the 2025 title beside his name. (Getty Images: Kohjiro Kinno/Augusta National)
“I think winning a Masters makes it easier to win your second one. I do,” McIlroy said after carding six birdies and a bogey.
“It’s hard to say because there are still shots out there that you feel a little bit tight with and you just have to stand up and commit to making a good swing and not worry about really where it goes.
“But I think it’s easier for me to make those swings and not worry about where it goes when I know that I can go to the Champions Locker Room and put my green jacket on at the end of the day.”
Scott was the next best of the Australians thanks in no small part to his eagle on the 13th, which came after a birdie on 12 to help him recover from a front nine that included three bogeys.
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Playing his 25th Masters, Scott ultimately finished five shots off the lead with an even-par 72 after going bogey-birdie on 15 and 16, and ending his round hitting two bunkers and bogeying the last.
“I wish I would have finished under par today,” the 45-year-old said.
“I don’t know why that one shot better feels like such a better accomplishment than even but it does, the red number.
“But I’m right there. I didn’t shoot myself out of it. That’s what majors are kind of all about sometimes. Then you look to take advantage of your good stuff the next few days.”
Adam Scott was 2-over after the front nine, but recovered on 12 and 13. (Getty Images: Andrew Redington)
Scott was one of a number of players to card an eagle on the first day at Augusta, including two-time winner Scottie Scheffler, Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard, and Day’s playing partner Shane Lowry, who also eagled 13.
But the best of the lot was American Patrick Reed, who started birdie-eagle and sank a long putt on the eighth to become just the second player in Masters history to start his tournament with a pair of eagles on his first nine holes.
Playing one group behind Scott, Aussie number one Min Woo Lee played the polar opposite to his compatriot on the par-five 13th after launching his drive out of bounds, failing to get onto the green out of the bunker with his third shot, then lipping out a short bogey putt.
That double came after four bogeys in his first 10 holes as he eventually slipped to six-over-par for the opening round, matching 66-year-old playing partner Fred Couples.
Couples won his one and only major at the 1992 Masters, six years before Lee was born, and they both struggled to 78s this time around, although the American was in far better shape until a quadruple bogey on 15 was followed by a pair of doubles to close out the round.
Meanwhile, Cameron Smith declared he was “definitely not out of the tournament” after bogeying the last two holes in a two-over 74.
Predicting brutal conditions for the rest of the tournament, former world number one Day is chuffed to have played himself into early contention.
“Just depends on what they want. If they want single digits to win, it’ll be baked out and fast and guys will be kind of spewing on themselves out there. Be really difficult,” he said.
“So if they want, they can definitely soften it out if they need to. It’ll be interesting. It’s going to be a good challenge regardless.”
AAP/ABC
