Rose: time to step up
The Masters
First Round leaders
US unless stated
-4 J Rose (Eng)
-4 T Immelman (SA)-3 B Snedeker
-3 B Bateman
-3 L Westwood (Eng)
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Justin Rose is tied for the lead at the Masters, with fellow countrymen Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey all in contention after day one.
Augusta specialist Rose - who has led twice on his three previous visits to the Masters - shot an opening four-under-par 68.
The 27-year-old did not get off to the best of starts, slipping to two over after four, but he recovered impressively with four successive birdies from the short sixth, then two more on the 12th and 13th, before parring in.
Rose shares the lead with South African Trevor Immelman, who was bogey-free and had two birdies on each nine.
The pair are a shot clear of Westwood, last year's PGA Tour rookie of the year Brandt Snedeker and Brian Bateman.
Westwood made birdies at the par five 13th and 15th after hitting both greens in two to join the leaders at four-under, but the Worksop man missed a five-foot par putt at the 17th to drop back to three-under.
Snedeker also birdied the 15th to join Rose and Immelman, but went over the last green and bogeyed for a 69.
Former US Open champion Jim Furyk was also on three-under before three-putting the last and settling for a 70.
European number one Rose has twice before been the first-round leader in the tournament but finished 22nd in 2004 after a third-round 81, and a year ago came fifth after double-bogeying the penultimate hole when one behind Zach Johnson.
Experience
"At the age of 27 you begin to say you can't keep putting it down to experience," he said. "You say 'this is the time to step up' if you like.
"But I'm not putting too much pressure on myself. Hopefully I've got a good 10-15 years ahead of me."
"It's always special coming here and that extra adrenaline and nerves brought out the best in me.
"After the start I stayed patient. You have to remember how far there is to go."
Westwood finished his round in near darkness after fog meant the start to the Masters had been delayed.
And although the Worksop man dropped a shot, he insisted it had been worth finishing his round to avoid returning at 8am.
"I just wanted to get in and get it over with - I didn't want to go back out in the morning," said Westwood.
"Sometimes it's easy to have a three-foot downhill putt in the dark than first thing. I've had later finishes on the clock, but not as dark as this.
"We weren't moving faster, we had to wait on 17 and 18. We didn't want to play the 18th at 8am when it's cooler."
Former Ryder Cup star Poulter had a hole in one at 16 on his way to an opening 70, the Englishman holing a 170-yard eight-iron.
Casey got to two under before dropping a shot after missing the fairway at 17. But he got up and down despite going through the green at 18, and after making an eight-foot par putt will be happy with a 71.
Scotland's Sandy Lyle - champion here 20 years ago to the day - got to three under through 15 and within a shot of the lead. But the 50-year-old was through the green in two at the par five 15th, took six and dropped two more shots for a 70.
"I played some pretty tidy golf and can't really complain," said the Scot, whose son caddied for him. "I'm disappointed obviously with the finish, but I'm hitting the ball the way I want to and it does help to have that little bit of knowledge.
"I often look at younger ones taking on certain shots and think to myself - you'll learn!"
Tiger
World number one Tiger Woods - who has won nine of his last 11 events - chipped in for an eagle at 15, but had to settle for a level-par 72 in the first leg of his Grand Slam bid.
Two-time former champion Phil Mickelson took advantage of an amazing fluke at the first as he holed a racing 50-foot putt from off the green for a birdie.
The American world number two also made a number of clutch par putts on his way to a 71.
Dane Soren Hansen and Swede Robert Karlsson had a taste of the lead at one stage, as did English debutant Nick Dougherty.
Karlsson matched Poulter's 70, but Augusta newcomer Hansen fell away badly to finish with a 75. Doughery got it to two under early on but mixed four birdies with six bogeys on his way to a 74.
Open champion Padraig Harrington birdied the second with a chip to three feet, saved par with a six-footer on the next after his pitch failed to climb the slope fronting the green, but then double-bogeyed the 455-yard fifth after driving into a bush and being forced to take a penalty drop. He finished with a 74.
