Rose, Immelman share lead
Woods battles to score even par

AUGUSTA — Britain’s Justin Rose reeled off six birdies in eight holes to share the first-round lead in the US Masters while Tiger Woods labored to stay in touch on Thursday.

Rose, who led after the first two rounds in 2004, shrugged off two early bogeys to fire a four-under-par 68 in bright sunshine on a soft Augusta National layout playing extra long.

The 27-year-old launched his sizzling run on the par-three sixth before ending the day level with South African Trevor Immelman, who missed a 10-footer at the last for a 67.

Britain’s Lee Westwood, four under with two holes to play, bogeyed the 17th in fading light on his way to a 69 and a tie for third with Americans Brandt Snedeker and Masters debutant Brian Bateman.

World No. 1 and four-time champion Woods, seeking his 14th major title, parred the first 12 holes before going bogey-bogey-eagle on his way to an opening 72.

Rose, who tied for fifth at last year’s Masters, was delighted to rebound from his faltering start.

"I didn’t feel that comfortable out there on the course but I made a great swing into six, hit it to five or six feet," he said.

"From the tee, it looked like I was close then I went up there and it was a little farther than I would have liked. I hadn’t putted well the first few holes, but making that slippery little putt settled me down."

Rose, who clinched the European Tour order of merit for the first time last year by winning the season-ending Volvo Masters, refused to get carried away with his first-round effort.

Still chasing his first top 10 result this season, Rose has now ended the first day of the Masters on top of the leaderboard three times in four appearances at Augusta.

"I seem to (hit) the home run early," said Rose, sitting alongside South Africa’s Trevor Immelman at the top of the leaderboard. "I’ve gone out there today with a really relaxed frame of mind and that’s obviously what I’ve got to recreate the rest of the week.

"I’ve gone out there without putting pressure on myself and I’ve gone out there relaxed, positive and it paid off for me.

"The trick is you sit there now, top of the leaderboard up there and hopefully that’s what I’ve learned the last few years is that there’s 54 holes left and you’ve got to stay in the moment right until the back nine (on) Sunday."

"Being in the lead on day one, it really means nothing," he said. "You can’t win the tournament the first day, you can only lose it. I haven’t lost it, so it’s a great day."

Woods, who has set his sights on becoming the first professional to achieve a calendar slam of the four majors, scrambled to stay level after 12 holes before bogeying 13 and 14.

However, he chipped in from behind the green to eagle the par-five 15th before making par on the last three holes to finish four strokes off the pace.

"I didn’t really get anything going my way today," the 32-year-old American said.

"I played a lot better than what my score indicates. I hit a lot of good putts, nothing really went. I just had to stay patient out there.

"The way the golf course plays now, you don’t really shoot low rounds here anymore. You’ve just got to plod along. It’s playing more like a US Open than it is a Masters."

There were no signs of panic from Woods.

He traditionally makes a slow start to the year’s first major, having been in the top-10 after the first day just once in the past 10 years, while in the last three he has finished the first day in 33rd, 19th and 15th.

In those three years he has finished first, third and second.

"I kept myself in the tournament, I’m right there," Woods said. "With the weather supposed to be getting more difficult as the week goes on, I’m right there.

Britain’s Ian Poulter spectacularly aced the par-three 16th on his way to an opening 70 in his fourth Masters appearance.

The 32-year-old Poulter holed out with an eight-iron from 169 yards to get to three under before slipping back with a bogey-par finish.

"I flushed it," the seven-time European Tour winner said of his ace. "As soon as it left the club, I knew it was going to be pretty good.

"It was an unbelievable buzz. You’ve got a few thousand people on the left-hand side so it was a special moment and the hairs on the back of your neck were standing up."

Among the other big names, two-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson and twice US Open winner Retief Goosen opened with 71s. Fiji’s Vijay Singh, the 2000 champion, carded a 72 while Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, winner of last year’s British Open, opened with a 74.

Woods was poised to end his run of pars with a birdie on the 13th but his approach raced across the green into a small gully, drawing a furious reaction from the 13-time major winner.

His mood turned darker when he stubbed his third shot and then rolled his fourth 15 feet past the pin, finishing with a two-putt for bogey.

"The second shot was sweet," said Woods. "Landed pin high and skipped it over the back and left myself the hardest pitch you could possibly have on this golf course."

More problems followed at the 14th where he hammered his drive into pine needles and dropped another shot.