Rose blooms early

Justin Rose will forever be able to talk about the day he led the Masters after opening with a 30-foot birdie putt at Augusta today.

The 23-year-old from Hampshire in England was off in the third group of the day and became the first player to make a three on the 435-yard first, traditionally one of the toughest on the course.

Off a perfect drive Rose’s approach landed just short of the flag, but rolled back down the slope rather than hopping up close. His disappointment at that, however, was quickly forgotten as his putt found the target.

After a week of sunshine there was a threat of rain during the first round and that might please those in the field who had found the hard and fast conditions none to their liking.

For the second year running 1988 champion Sandy Lyle was put out in the first threeball with “old-timers” Tommy Aaron and Charles Coody.

It is a sign of how far the 46-year-old Scot has fallen – he no longer holds a European tour card – but after all three had bogeyed the first Lyle birdied the long second.

Rose, who had said going into the event: ``I'm as excited about my second Masters as I was about my first last year'', already had to control his adrenalin after making another birdie at the 575-yard second.

He gave himself a 12-foot chance on the next, but the putt was downhill and he dribbled it to the hole side.

As the first rain began he hit a lovely iron to 15 feet on the dangerous short fourth and parred to remain two under, one ahead of twice winner Ben Crenshaw.

Lyle bogeyed the fourth and fifth and British amateur champion Gary Wolstenholme missed the green at the first and bogeyed, just as Paul Lawrie did. But Nick Faldo made par there.