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AUGUSTA, Ga. — Even before the Masters Tournament began, it was obvious Augusta National in April was nothing like it was in November. Far less clear was which course Justin Rose was playing Thursday. RELATED: Leaderboard | A return to April means a tough test at Augusta National Rose made seven birdies and an eagle during a torrid 10-hole stretch for a 7-under 65 and a four-shot lead, his lowest score at Augusta National in one of its toughest opening rounds. It started with a nice hop off the mounds left of the green on the par-5 eighth that set up a 10-foot eagle. Only two of his birdie putts were outside 8 feet. He holed a 12-foot par putt on the one green he missed. Not bad for a 40-year-old from England playing for the first time in a month while resting an ailing back. His 65 looked even better on a day so tough only 12 players broke par, and the average score was 74.5. “Listen, I didn’t know where my game was going into this week,” Rose said. “I’ve been working hard. I could have played the last two tournaments, but I was really trying to prepare hard for this Masters.” Twice a runner-up, including a playoff loss to Sergio Garcia four years ago, Rose tied a Masters record by taking at least a share of first-round lead for the fourth time. The other to do that was Jack Nicklaus. The difference? Nicklaus went on to win two of his six green jackets from that position. Rose likes to say he’s only had one arm in the jacket. Brian Harman, the last player to get into the 88-man field, and Hideki Matsuyama were wrapping up their rounds of 69 about the time Rose began on a course that was dry and crusty, on greens that were so fast there were splotches of brown. Among those at 70 were former Masters champion Patrick Reed and Masters newcomer Will Zalatoris. Jordan Spieth overcame a triple bogey from the trees on No. 9 for a 71. Missing were a slew of red numbers on the leaderboard in conditions so difficult that Garcia said after a 76, “I feel like I just came out of the ring with Evander Holyfield.” Five months ago, in the first Masters held in November because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the turf was so soft that 53 players were under par after the opening round. Shane Lowry chipped from the back of the 15th green into the water in front of the green. He escaped with bogey and managed a 71. U.S. Amateur champion Tyler Strafaci hit a 60-foot putt from behind the ninth green that wound up 75 feet away on the other side. Defending champion Dustin Johnson, who set the record last year at 20-under 268, failed to break par for the first time since the opening round in 2018. He three-putted for double bogey on the 18th for a 74. “I feel sorry for the guys’ first Masters in November, and then they’re walking out there today wondering what is going on,” Kevin Kisner said after a hard-earned 72. This was no surprise. Augusta National has not had rain in more than a week, and players could not recall the last time greens were this fast during practice rounds, much less with a scorecard in hand on Thursday. “It’s my 10th year, but I’ve never seen the greens so firm and fast,” Matsuyama said. “So it was like a new course for me playing today, and I was fortunate to get it around well.” And what to say of Rose? Even in more forgiving conditions, he had never done better than 67. “I didn’t feel like today was the day for a 65, if I’m honest,” Rose said. No one needed convincing, least of all Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy, among top players who struggled with the wind and had just as many problems when the ball was on the ground. DeChambeau, the U.S. Open champion who has been licking his chops about bringing his super-sized game to Augusta National, didn’t make a birdie until the 15th hole and shot 76, his highest score as a pro at the Masters. Patrick Cantlay hit into the water on both par 3s on the back nine and shot 79. “Guys are going to shoot themselves out of the golf tournament on day one,” Webb Simpson said after a late double bogey forced him to settle for a 70. McIlroy, needing a green jacket to complete the career Grand Slam, hit his father in the leg with a shot on the seventh hole. That was about the most interesting moment in his round of 76. Lee Westwood, who had a pair of runner-up finishes in the Florida Swing, had a 78. Rose looked as though he might be headed that direction. He made a soft bogey on No. 1. He three-putted across the green on No. 7. He was 2 over, though not ready to panic. He knew it was tough. He also knew he was headed in the wrong direction. “You can’t win the golf tournament today. Even with a 65 you can’t win it today,” Rose said. “You can only probably lose it today, obviously. I reset just prior to that and thought if I can get myself back around even par, that would be a good day’s work.” He hit 5-wood into 10 feet for eagle and a 9-iron to the dangerous left pin on No. 9 to 4 feet for birdie. He holed a 25-foot putt on the 10th and hit 8-iron to 6 feet on No. 12. It never stopped. Even from the first cut of rough on the 17th, his wedge settled 4 feet from the hole. He finished going over the details of that incredible stretch, smiled and said, “Sounds easy.” It looked that way. But only for him.

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Stealing from the familiar phrase and opting for the positivity that it projects (because good news never has been harder to find), the glass is two-thirds full. The cancellation of the AT&T Byron Nelson that originally was slated for this week falls in the ninth of 13 weeks in a row without the completion of sanctioned competition. That means that we’re well into the inward side of the hiatus before the PGA TOUR is scheduled to resume with the Charles Schwab Challenge on June 11-14. Although tournaments impacted have been canceled or rescheduled, PGA TOUR members will have a chance to compete in them regardless of season-ending position in the FedExCup. You read that right. Two weeks after it was announced how the remainder of the 2019-20 season and the fall portion of the 2020-21 season would be constructed, the TOUR announced that eligibility for current members will extend another season. For those who will be planning a start at the AT&T Byron Nelson in 2021, it means a move to TPC Craig Ranch about 25 miles north of downtown Dallas. It hosted the Korn Ferry Tour Championship in 2008 and 2012. The book is closed on Trinity Forest Golf Club after two years. Any brief history lesson of the tournament must begin with the fact that it’s the first PGA TOUR event to be named after a professional golfer. Byron Nelson granted his name to the tournament in 1968 and served as host until his death in 2006. Nelson played in the tournament in only the first two editions – he won the inaugural in 1944 and finished third in his title defense the following year – so he is not featured below. Neither is five-time Open champion Peter Thomson, whose only victory in the United States occurred in the second edition of what was known as the Texas International Open in 1956. In his only other tournament appearance, he placed T13 in the Dallas Centennial Open the previous week. Indeed, there were consecutive editions of this tournament over a fortnight. Preston Hollow Country Club in Dallas hosted both. There have been 66 editions of the AT&T Byron Nelson in all. The first five (1944-1956) were contested without a cut. ALL-TIME POWER RANKINGS: WELLS FARGO CHAMPIONSHIP 15. Fred Couples Made the most of 16 starts with a victory at TPC Las Colinas in 1987 and a co-runner-up in 1998. Totaled six top 10s and added a T11. His T9 as a tournament debutant in 1981 was his second career top 10 (of 161). His last top 10 at the Nelson was a T8 as a 49-year-old in 2009. 14. Phil Mickelson His strong, sturdy history at the event includes a victory in 1996, a playoff loss in 2000 and a T3 in 2007. He’s sprinkled in two more top 10s and another three top 20s in 14 starts. 13. Craig Stadler The Walrus missed seven cuts in 21 tries, but he compressed a win (1984), a solo second (1991), another three top fives and four more top 20s in a 12-year span through 1995. 12. Payne Stewart The SMU product under the charge of unrelated fellow AT&T Byron Nelson champion, Earl Stewart, was a loyalist at the Nelson with 17 consecutive appearances through a T19 in his last in 1998. He emerged with victory in 1990 and lost in a playoff in 1985, while scattering another four top 10s and yet another three top 25s among 13 cuts made. 11. Earl Stewart Among the countless direct connections to Lord Byron and/or the Dallas area in this Power Rankings, Stewart prevailed on his home course (Oak Cliff) in the 1961 edition of the tournament. It was one of seven consecutive top 25s from 1957-1966 that also featured a T2 in 1959. Beginning with a solo fifth in the inaugural edition in 1944, he’d go on to total six top 10s and 10 top 25s in 15 appearances. After his career as a touring professional, he coached the golf teams at nearby SMU for over a decade. 10. Scott Verplank Appeared 27 times and survived only 13 cuts, but compelling performances spanning the spectrum of his PGA TOUR career occurred in his native Dallas. It was in the debut of TPC Las Colinas in 1986 that he made the last start (T19) of a storied amateur experience that included a victory in the 1985 Western Open. After a playoff loss in 2001, he recorded the last of his five TOUR titles in the event in 2007, the first edition after Nelson’s death. Five of Verplank’s six top 10s (and nine top 25s) in the tournament were top fives, including a T5 as a 45-year-old in 2010. 9. Don January With such a sterling record on the PGA TOUR, it’d have been an upset if the native of north Texas didn’t thrive in his backyard. In fact, it’s where the success began in earnest with victory in his tournament debut in 1956. In 23 appearances, he recorded six top 10s among 15 top 25s. Won the Vardon Trophy at age 46 in 1976 and would go on to finish T3 at Preston Trail as a 48-year-old in 1978. He’d win 10 times throughout his career, including one major (1967 PGA Championship), and represent the United States twice in the Ryder Cup (1965, 1977). 8. Jack Nicklaus Won twice (1970, 1971) and didn’t miss a cut in eight trips. In his first season on the PGA TOUR in 1962, he finished T5 at Oak Cliff Country Club. He didn’t return until Preston Trail took over in 1968 and placed 10th. After the titles, he added one more top 10 (T8, 1976) before wrapping his tournament record with a T23 in 1983, totaling five top 10s and six top 25s. 7. Sergio Garcia As the youngest (40) in this Power Rankings, there is time to build on what already is an impressive record at the AT&T Byron Nelson. In 14 starts, he’s won twice (2004, 2016; both in playoffs), finished T3 as a 19-year-old in his debut in 1999, and totaled four top 10s among eight top 20s. 6. Nick Price As nice of a guy that he is, he played with such a ferociousness from tee to green that you couldn’t help but respect his ability to focus and rely on that skill set. It paid off handsomely in Dallas where he capture the title in 1991. As a 46-year-old in 2003, his solo second was the penultimate podium finish of 50 in his PGA TOUR career. He then added top 10s in the next two editions. In 19 appearances from 1985-2005, he went for nine top 10s and another six top 20s, and missed only one cut. 5. Ben Crenshaw All things Austin, Texas, through and through, his experience in the wind served him well in Dallas. Gentle Ben picked off his lone victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson in 1983. He also finished second in 1977, lost in a playoff in 1992 and finished T3 in 1988. Overall, he hung up nine top 10s and another two top 20s among 20 cuts made in 27 appearances. 4. Raymond Floyd His career record at the AT&T Byron Nelson is a microcosm for his longevity and consistently strong form throughout a robust career. In 1964 and while celebrating his 22nd birthday at the tournament, he debuted with a solo fifth. In his last of 24 starts, he placed T8 as a 50-year-old in 1993. In between, he won the 1977 edition, finished second twice (including in a playoff at age 49 in 1992) and recorded two thirds among nine top 10s and 17 top 25s. He also missed only one cut, that on the number in 1987. 3. Sam Snead The Slammer made just six starts, the last of which resulting in a mid-tournament withdrawal as a 55-year-old in 1968, but he won three times, including by 10 strokes in 1957. His second-round 60 at Glen Lakes that week tied what was then the PGA TOUR record for lowest round. His score in relation to par of 20-under 264 was the tournament record until both winners at Trinity Forest reached 23-under 261. 2. Bruce Lietzke Depending on when you were introduced to the sport, you’re going to have a vastly different perspective of the longtime Dallas resident, and it has nothing to do with his seven wins in 194 starts on the PGA TOUR Champions. He emerged in the mid-1970s as a force by the age of 25. From 1977-1982, he won nine times and competed in his only Ryder Cup in 1981, the same year that he won the AT&T Byron Nelson for the first time in a playoff over Tom Watson. Another four titles followed through 1994, including his second W at the Nelson in ’88, also in a playoff, this time over Clarence Rose. By the time he turned 40 in July of 1991, Lietzke had curtailed his schedule before it was en vogue, yet he still finished inside the top 30 on the money list three times and twice more inside the top 80 before hanging up his PGA TOUR card two months shy of his 50th birthday. Citing the reward for hard work and career success, he balanced his life outside the ropes with an affinity for classic cars on which he worked. Yet, he missed only one edition of the Nelson in 25 years (1979) and added a playoff loss (1992) and a T3 to total six top 10s and eight top 20s. 1. Tom Watson How fitting that the only champion with as many as four titles at the AT&T Byron Nelson had established a deep connection with Nelson himself. After sharing runner-up honors in 1974, in his third of what would be 28 consecutive appearances, Watson prevailed in 1975 by two at Preston Trail. After a couple of poor performances, he authored one of the greatest runs of any golfer in any tournament. From 1978-1985, he went Win-Win-Win-P2-T3-T4-3rd-T3. In 1997, at the age of 47, he finished T3, four strokes back of 21-year-old Tiger Woods, who was making his first start since his historic victory at the Masters. All told, Watson was 23-for-28 with 14 top 10s and another two top 20s. HONORABLE MENTIONS Tiger Woods The AT&T Byron Nelson is a tournament with rich history. The fact that he didn’t crack the top 15 despite one win (1997), two thirds and a pair of fourths among six top 10s in nine appearances is evidence of it. Johnny Pott With a playoff win (1960) and a solo second (1962) among five top 10s and nine top 25s contributing to his 10-for-14 record, he edges out numerous one-time winners who can’t claim a runner-up finish or more top 10s and/or top 25s. Loren Roberts In between missing his first six cuts (1981-1988) and his last two (2003, 2004), he rose for victory in a playoff (1999), four more top 10s and another three top 25s among 13 cuts made. Lee Trevino While there are 40 winners of the AT&T Byron Nelson omitted from this section, the majority of whom with multiple top 10s (led by 1986 champion Andy Bean with five) and top 25s (led by 1962 champion Billy Maxwell and 1972 champion Chi Chi Rodriguez, each with 10), Trevino’s success short of connecting for a victory demands attention in his hometown. Beginning with the first of 481 PGA TOUR starts at Oak Cliff in 1962 and concluding with his last of 22 appearances at TPC Las Colinas in 1989, The Merry Mex finished second twice, T3 once and T5 three times. Overall, he pounded out seven top 10s and another six top 25s among 20 cuts made. Bruce Crampton He was a 14-time winner on the PGA TOUR but he settled for status as a frequent also-ran at the AT&T Byron Nelson. The closest he came to victory was in 1969 when fellow Aussie Bruce Devlin bettered him by one stroke. In 15 career appearances from 1958-1975, Crampton recorded eight top 10s and didn’t miss a cut.

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