Shane Lowry of Ireland plays a stroke from the No. 2 tee during Round 1 of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, Thursday, April 8, 2021.

Shane Lowry is licking his lips for what lies ahead after he fed off runaway leader Justin Rose and used all his flair and imagination to open with a one-under 71 on a tough opening day at the Masters.

The Offaly ace (34) came into the event brimming with confidence, convinced he could build on a career-best tie for 25th in November by doing something special at a firm and fast Augusta National.

Playing partner Rose (40) — the runner-up in 2015 and 2017— was in a class of his own, as he fired a scintillating, seven-under 65 to lead by four shots from Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and American left-hander Brian Harman.

Will Zalatoris, Webb Simpson, South Africa’s Christian Bezuidenhout and 2017 champion Patrick Reed chiselled out two-under 70’s to share fourth spot as defending champion Dustin Johnson double-bogeyed the 18th for a 74.

Scores

But Lowry was also impressive as he birdied the last to share eighth place with Jordan Spieth, Jason Kokrak, Tyrrell Hatton and Korea’s Si Woo Kim on one-under-par as Rory McIlroy’s 76 left him joint 60th.

“I was surprised when I came in and saw I was lying tied eighth especially playing with Rosey and what he was doing,” Lowry said with a grin after taking 27 putts (T5).

“I even said to him inside; he didn’t do anything outrageous, he didn’t hold many long putts or chip in. It was just very solid. It was a joy to watch that round of golf.

“I know Justin shot seven-under but apart from him the scoring is showing how much of a grind it was.”
The Open champion loves tough courses in firm conditions and he’s convinced he can make a run at the green jacket if he improves on the par-fives, which he played in one-over yesterday.

“I feel like played good,” he said. “I made a couple of bad errors 10 and 15. They were a bit silly. But I was very proud of myself for the way I hung on.

“The golf course, oh my God, I have never seen it like that. It was great I loved it. I have always wanted to play Augusta like this in the Masters — firm and fast with putts getting away from you.”

Lowry birdied the third, then brilliantly salvaged par after driving into a fairway bunker at the fifth by getting up and down from 134 yards.

He three-putted the sixth from nearly 50 feet, but after making a nine-footer for birdie at the seventh, he stole another shot against the head at the ninth where his drive ricocheted off a pine tree into the first fairway and his 20 footer rapped the back of the cup and dropped.

He turned in two-under-par, just a shot off the early lead but while he was brought quickly back to earth with a double-bogey six at the 10th, where he pulled his drive out of bounds, he dug deep on the back nine.

After getting through Amen Corner in level par, he hit two good shots just over the back at the par-five 15th but watched in horror as his lightning-fast chip dribbled past the pin into the water.

He chipped dead the second time around to escape with a bogey six, then rifled his approach to six feet for another bounce-back birdie at the 16th.

“I knew it was a difficult shot but I messed up myself,” he said of the 15th. “I didn’t even strike it bad, I just hit it a fraction too hard.

“That’s just the way it is. That’s just this golf course. And that’s one of the easier pins from over the back of the green, so it will be interesting to see what it’s like the rest of the week.

“It was a mistake I did well to get the next one up and down and make six and I finished nicely so I was very happy with that.”

Robbed at the 17th, where his 18 footer burned the edge, he made no mistake at the last where his slippery 15 footer found the bottom of the cup.

On Rose’s round, he said: “He was to two over through seven and to be honest I must’ve been in a world of my own. I knew he was going well but obviously, he took care of the holes he should’ve taken care of and birdied a couple of other ones.

“But that’s kind of the way it is around here. I am disappointed today myself that I play the par fives one over today when I should’ve shot one under.

“I need to play them better the rest of the week if I am to have a chance I’m doing something special here this weekend.”