Rose leads Masters as McIlroy hurt by late errors

Masters first-round leaderboard

-7 J Rose (Eng); -4 C Conners (Can), S Scheffler (US), L Aberg (Swe); -3 T Hatton (Eng), B DeChambeau (US); -2 A Rai (Eng), H English (US), J Day (Aus), A Bhatia (US)

Selected others: -1 F Couples (US), M Fitzpatrick (Eng), S Lowry (Ire); Level C Morikawa (US), S Garcia (Spa), R McIlroy (NI); +1 T Fleetwood (Eng); +3 D Willett (Eng), R MacIntyre (Sco), J Rahm (Spa); +5 L Canter (Eng)

Full leaderboard

England's Justin Rose leads the Masters after threatening to break the Augusta course record on an opening day where Rory McIlroy faded after a fast start.

A majestic first round saw 44-year-old Rose card a seven-under 65, putting him three clear of a group featuring defending champion Scottie Scheffler at the top of leaderboard.

McIlroy's pursuit of a career-defining Masters win was hit by two late mistakes which leave him seven shots behind Rose.

The 35-year-old Northern Irishman started his latest bid to complete the career Grand Slam with a level-par 72.

Rose, also bidding to wear the Green Jacket for the first time, leads with world number one Scheffler, last year's runner-up Ludvig Aberg and Canada's Corey Conners joint second.

Tyrrell Hatton, another Englishman, is a shot back after a 69, the same score as two-time US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau.

England's Aaron Rai briefly led on his Masters debut before ending the opening day in joint seventh after a two-under 70.

Rose overshadows McIlroy as pair bid for elusive Green Jacket

With an enviable record at Augusta, Rose possesses the knowledge and expertise to finally get his hands on the Green Jacket.

The former world number one has secured two runners-up finishes, plus 14 others in the top 25, since making his debut in 2003.

While many thought his chance of adding to his 2013 US Open victory might have gone, Rose has given himself another opportunity as he bids to become the oldest first-time Masters champion since 41-year-old Mark O'Meara in 1998.

Rose made a rapid start with three birdies in the opening three holes, continuing to use his putter marvellously to sink three more in a row around the turn.

Further birdies on 15 and 16 secured his position as the first-round leader for a record fifth time - but he fell short of creating further history.

Two more birdies on the final two holes would have seen Rose become the first man to shoot 62 at Augusta National.

One birdie would have equalled the course record of 63 held jointly by Nick Price and Greg Norman.

Loose drives led to a par-bogey finish but it did not diminish a wonderful round which saw him post his joint lowest score at the Masters.

Rose looked totally relaxed as he headed off the course, smiling broadly as he slapped high-fives with the patrons congratulating him on a fantastic day's work.

"It was a really good day's golf on a course that was a stern test," he said.

"If you look at the leaderboard, there are not many low scores out there."

However, the veteran Englishman knows those errant tee-shots on 17 and 18 serve as a reminder of how quickly things can change at a major.

It was a lesson McIlroy endured once again at Augusta.

The world number two said he has "never been in better form" when he arrived in Georgia for his 11th attempt at completing the career Grand Slam - having won two PGA Tour events at Pebble Beach and TPC Sawgrass. And he demonstrated his confidence in a bogey-free first nine containing three birdies.

Another birdie on the 13th left McIlroy well placed on four under before an aggressive chip from off the back of the par-five 15th green ended in the water and led to a seven.

He followed that with another double bogey on the par-four 17th, blotting what had previously been a consistent card where he had played with patience and maturity.

Such was his disappointment at his closing holes, McIlroy passed on post-round media interviews, and headed straight to the practice area.

Clean card gives Scheffler solid start

Even though Scheffler's start to the season has been slow by his lofty standards, he remains the man to beat.

Hampered initially by a hand injury sustained when trying to roll out ravioli with a wine glass on Christmas Day, the 28-year-old American arrived at Augusta feeling he is peaking at the right time.

Scheffler finished joint runner-up in Houston two weeks ago and, with the major season getting under way at the Masters, laid down another warning to his rivals that he is finding form.

While not at his clinical best, he has put himself in a strong position with a bogey-free round - and, ominously for his rivals, has the capacity to go further through the gears over the next three days.

His driving and iron approaches were solid, enhanced by converting a couple of lengthy putts.

Scheffler set the tone with a confident birdie putt on the second, landing a monster from 62 feet on the fourth - sending the patrons into raptures - and adding another shorter one on the ninth.

The two-time champion's first real mistake of the day came when he lipped out from seven feet on the 13th and had to settle for a par.

But he made amends by holing from 42 feet for a two on the par-three 16th.

"I felt pretty good. Anytime you can keep a card clean out here, it's a really good thing," Scheffler said.

"I had to make two really good up-and-downs. But other than that, the golf course was in front of me most of the day, kept the ball in play, did a lot of really good things out there."

Rai makes dreamy start to Masters debut

Playing at the Masters is a reward for Rai's success over the past couple of years.

A maiden PGA Tour title at the Wyndham Championship last year helped the 30-year-old from Wolverhampton climb into the world's top 50.

Virtually every Masters debutant - understandably - says competing at Augusta National is a "dream come true". Rai was no exception.

It became even dreamier when he took the outright lead after four birdies on the first nine without dropping a shot.

But three successive bogeys on 11, 12 and 13 - the notorious Amen Corner - were a reminder of Augusta's propensity to bite back.

Rai was unfazed and rallied. Two birdies, either side of a bogey on 16, ensured he was the early clubhouse leader.

"Without playing this course under competitive conditions before, it's very difficult to figure out how it is going to play in the flow of it," he said.

"So I'm very, very pleased with how it went overall."

Veteran champions roll back the years

Bernhard Langer was one under after nine holes before three bogeys on the second nine

Two-time champion Bernhard Langer dipped into vintage fashion as he began his 41st and final Masters appearance.

The 67-year-old German wore an all-red outfit in homage to his first victory in 1985 as he carded a two-over 74.

On Friday, he plans to rehash the green and yellow number he donned when he won his second Augusta title in 1993.

"It's more or less to celebrate the two outfits that I put the Green Jacket on. That's the idea behind it," Langer said.

Fred Couples, another veteran champion, provided a magical moment when he holed out from 191 yards for an eagle on the 14th.

The 65-year-old American, who won the 1992 tournament, moved to one under as a result.

Couples closed out with four pars for a 71 which he hopes will help him make the cut for only the second time in the past seven years.

Angel Cabrera, the 2009 champion who is making a controversial return this year following his release from prison, shot a three-over 75.

The 55-year-old Argentine was found guilty in 2021 of numerous charges that included assault, theft and illegal intimidation against former girlfriends.

While Augusta chairman Fred Ridley said Cabrera was invited to return, as all past champions are, women's action groups have expressed their disappointment with that decision.

Live text commentary of round two starts at 13:00 BST on the BBC Sport website and app. Radio coverage starts on BBC 5 Live at 19:00 BST with full commentary from 20:30, or listen via BBC Sounds.