2025 Masters: Looking ahead to Friday with Rose Leader and McIlroy stumble
The 2025 Masters is in progress, and after a brilliant 18th hole, the top rankings have three former winners, including Scottie Scheffler, who is looking for his third green jacket in four years.
As the page goes to Friday, this is what we’ve been following.
Can Justin Rose lead the way?
The British golfer has experienced this kind of start before, but he hopes for a different ending on Sunday.
This is Rose’s fifth first-round lead in the Masters, the most lead in tournament history. This is his eighth lead or co-leader in any round of Augusta National Golf Club, the most of any player who has not won a green jacket.
“I feel like I’m doing enough to win this game,” Ross said. “I just feel like I don’t have a jacket to prove it. I think, no, it’s a compliment. I’ve played a lot of good golf here. Obviously, it’s always good. But yeah, yeah, ultimately, you want to be, you want to be [the] The last person stood on Sunday. ”
Rose, 44, thinks if he performs well in the last 54 holes. He couldn’t win the first four first round leads:
– In 2004, the 23-year-old Rose scored two shots in the first and second rounds. But then he collapsed with 9 more than 81 points, including nine bogeys on Saturday. This is the worst third round score for the Masters 36-hole leader in the Masters in 25 years. He tied for 22nd with 2 points, 11 behind.
– Rose led the following first round with 3 points in 2007. Rose is 7 years old in the last 54 holes under cold and windy conditions. He hunted until the end and hit the final champion Zach Johnson in the final round in the birdies of the 14th and 16th. But Shuangbaishan on the 17th hole fell on the tie, and scored 4 points for the fifth time.
– In the second year, Rose and Trevor Immelman ranked No. 4 on the rankings. Ross failed after posting 78 times in the second round. He hits 8 in three-arms up to 15th place after pouring water into the water before the green. Ross ranked 11th in the final three rounds and tied for 36th with 7 points.
– Rose was under 9 in the last 11 holes of the first round in the 2021 Masters, opening four leads in the match between Brian Harman and Hideki Matsuyama. This is Ross’ fourth time leading or co-leading after the first round and competing with Jack Nicklaus for the Master Record. Ross couldn’t finish it on the weekend again. After the second round, he had a lead of 1 shot and was behind Four Mountains after the third time. Ross won the solo in seventh place under the age of 5, five shots behind Matsuyama.
Can Ross complete this year? He was two runner-up in the Masters, losing to Jordan Spieth in 2015 and Sergio Garcia in 2017, so he knows all he needs to slip on a green jacket on Sunday.
Ross will have many of the world’s best golfers – Scotty Schefler (-4), Ludwig Oberg (-3), Bryson DeChambeau (-3) and others – to catch up with him.
“There’s a little bit better here, and there’s always a difference,” Ross said. “But I’m lucky sometimes and become a champion. But you have to play golf to continue creating these opportunities, and obviously the only way to do that is to get your name on the rankings. I’m definitely not shy away from it.” – Mark Schlabach
Is there still a chance for Rory McIlroy?
It seems McIlroy has all the momentum in the world. The four-time main champion seems to have broken the code after countless slow starts in Augusta. He hit a 4-shot in 14 holes and just reached a perfect drive on the 15-hole Dharan front. His long iron shot landed on the green and dripped from the back, making him tricky, but straightforward.
But after McIlroy contacted, he seemed to win. He passed the ball too far and the crowd begged the ball to sit down as it started to cross the pin. It didn’t drip into the water. McIlroy’s long and arduous walk across the bridge to the drop zone, making double bogey. The motivation disappeared.
“Green is new, so it’s a little firmer than some others,” said Ludvig Åberg, one of McIlroy’s game partners. “But obviously, you’re playing with fire when you mess with that aspect, especially with a short pin. The chip starting with Long isn’t easy either.”
Another hasty chip and a 17-pole three-pole chip made a second bogey, and the quick error turned into a catastrophic end point. On the 14th, McIlroy tied with Scheffler, who scored 4 shots in the morning tide with 68, suddenly after four shots in his last four holes, he even par – four shots behind Scheffler and eight shots behind leader Rose Rose.
McIlroy refused to talk to the media after his round and headed straight to the series.
Even though McIlroy had performed well in Augusta before, the slow start was his Achilles tendon heels that could not be overcome. McIlroy broke only once in the last seven rounds of the Masters. In addition, 18 of the past 19 Masters champions were within four shots after round 1. McIlroy returned to four on 14. Now he is back.
If this is the year when McIlroy finally put on his green jacket, what many people expect is that it will take a huge effort. Four-time major champions will need to start making up for the ground immediately on Friday morning. If there is a silver lining in Thursday’s effort, it’s that McIlroy drove the ball well, playing golf in addition to 15 and 17. But, as this course often shows – as McIlroy knows very well, a critical mistake may not be overcome. – Paolo uggetti
Which LIV players have made a good start in this year’s No. 1 major?
Even though 2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm hit a 3-stroke and showed a lot of frustration after another tough round at Augusta National on Thursday, five other LIV golf members found themselves in the top 11 after one round.
The 16 players totaled 1 shot and tied for 11th, including 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed and two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson. Bryson DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton both scored 3 with 69 and were ranked fifth. Joaquín Niemann is the third champion this year, ranking 27th evenly.
“It’s so hard,” Hatton said, and he was very satisfied with his round. “Like, you love it here and it’s very special, but at any time, you can shoot a shot and it’s just your head. I just have to keep shooting the perfect shot.”
Hatton performed his best in Augusta (T-9) last year and reminded reporters that he needed to improve his abilities better in this course at the time. On Thursday, Hatton hit 11 of 14 fairways. The task is completed.
Dechambeau also reached 11 fairways in the first round and had a strong round after his best result last year (T-4). However, Dechambeau wasn’t completely satisfied with his performance, and no surprise, it headed to range and waved under the light. No one hit the ball more than he did this week.
“I want to turn that boat in the right direction. I feel like I have a favorable golf swing now; it’s just not dialing like I want,” he said. “I need to work a little bit and feel comfortable for tomorrow.”
Reed was happy with his swing, but it was his putt that gave him a headache. He hit a fairway based on the data but missed five greens in the regulations, but lost more than half of the putt in his hand to the court.
“Strike is not a problem,” Reed said. “The flat stick is on vacation and needs to show up. It needs to fly and meet me here.”
Despite 75 rounds, Rahm – threw his driver on the ninth hole and was ready to snatch it halfway.
“I have confidence,” Ram said. “It’s a very difficult golf course. It’s going to get more and more difficult. If I can get a good start, please release a round in the 60s. [Friday]then the weekend may be a new story. ” – uggetti
Who has a job on Friday?
The first 50 points and tie will cut the Masters’ 36 holes (no 10 rule), and there are 62 golfers who score more than 2 points or more after 18 holes. Data Golf’s prediction model made the following expected cuts after the first round: 2 high (18.5%), 3-to-39.5%) and 4 (29.6%).
There are a few big guys who need to perform well on the weekend on Friday: Will Zalatoris, Keegan Bradley (2 over), Max Homa (2 over), Dustin Johnson, Dustin Johnson (2 over), Patrick Cantlay, Patrick Cantlay, Brooks Koepka, koepka (2 Over), Phil Mickelson, Phil Mickelson (Phil Mickelson (end by Phil Mickelson (3), Adam Scott (5) and Russell Henley (7).
2013 Masters champion Scott advanced in the top 15 Masters and disappeared for the last time in the 2009 weekend.
Lucas Glover, who struggled with 78 6 points, wasn’t much of the mood he talked about on Thursday.
Glover was asked to describe the course conditions and said, “The course is perfect.”
When asked to describe his round, he replied: “Oops.”
When asked what he was going to do about Friday, Glover said, “Nothing I did today.” – Schrabach
What is the weather on Friday?
Even though about an inch of rain was raining on Monday, which eliminated most of the day’s practice sessions, Augusta’s national green and fairway were firm and swift in the first round.
“It’s hard there,” said Brian Harman. “The greens are super solid in some places. This is tricky at those nines and it’s hard to get a good look.
“You have to play the perfect shot to get a good look, and it’s just Augusta, man. It’s a bear. I always say, for me, I think it’s the hardest place we play all year round. It’s just the way it matures. It’s 5-shot for me on the back nine, and I really can’t do it.
Another round of showers and potential thunderstorms were predicted overnight on Friday, with the front passing Augusta. 80% chance of precipitation and showering are expected between 6am and 9am on Friday. About two-tenths to one-tenth of rain may fall.
The weekend forecast was very good, with sunny skies and high temperature forecasts from the 1960s to 1970s.
Tyrrell Hatton of England said: “The fingers crossed the rain.” The course is in good condition. On Thursday, the Greens were already fast and firm in some places. I think if the rain keeps going, then the score could be worse. – Schrabach
