Justin Rose prepares to play a shot on the 17th green. AFP
Justin Rose prepares to play a shot on the 17th green. AFP
Justin Rose prepares to play a shot on the 17th green. AFP
Justin Rose prepares to play a shot on the 17th green. AFP

Masters 2025: Justin Rose takes early lead as he looks to add to resume


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Justin Rose delivered a sparkling opening-round 65 on Thursday and grabbed a three-stroke lead at the Masters as the veteran Englishman looks to add to his already impressive list of accomplishments.

Rose, 44, got off to a scorching start with birdies on the first three holes and kept the momentum going through the back nine, rolling in a lengthy putt on 16 for his eighth birdie of the day and going eight-under par.

A poor tee shot on 18 led to his lone bogey, breaking up what he later described as a "no-hitter," but the former world No 1 was nonetheless delighted with the opening round of his 20th Masters.

"For the first few holes everything was going exactly where I was looking," he said.

"Certainly the first hole, which is definitely one of the trickier holes on the golf course, to knock in a nice 25-footer down the hill right-to-left, exactly what you need to settle yourself into the Masters.

"And then two and three are birdie opportunities. So to be three-under through three really got me on the front foot and felt like I was playing great golf."

Rose is three strokes clear of the trio of Scottie Scheffler, Corey Conners and Ludvig Aberg, who are all four under heading into Friday's second round.

Strong starts at Augusta National are nothing new for Rose, who has now been either in the lead or tied for it after the first round for a record fifth time.

"I've played well enough to win this tournament. I just feel like I don't have the jacket to prove it," he said. "Ultimately, you want to be last man standing on Sunday."

Rose, an Olympic champion who won the 2013 US Open and placed second at the Masters in 2015 and 2017, said he wants to finish his career with a bang.

"I do feel that I could make a statement with how well I played the back end of my career," he said.

"My resume is nicely rounded out. There's a few big glaring gaps. Obviously three major championships I haven't won. Maybe a Players Championship as well.

"So there's tons of opportunity to do things I haven't done before, but the major headlines are kind of all in place for me.

"So I should use that as freedom to take these opportunities and use them to kind of freewheel and use it all as upside."

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
The specs: McLaren 600LT

Price, base: Dh914,000

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm

Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm

Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

The specs

  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

Afghanistan fixtures
  • v Australia, today
  • v Sri Lanka, Tuesday
  • v New Zealand, Saturday,
  • v South Africa, June 15
  • v England, June 18
  • v India, June 22
  • v Bangladesh, June 24
  • v Pakistan, June 29
  • v West Indies, July 4
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford

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The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

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Updated: April 11, 2025, 4:30 AM`