By Staff
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- England's Justin Rose dodged the showers, thunderstorms and finally darkness to grab the first round lead at the 68th Masters on Thursday.
Rose shot a superb five-under-par 67 to lead just three players who broke 70.
Rain and thunderstorms hindered play in the opening round and finally darkness forced 18 players, including Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Jack Nicklaus, to finish the first round this morning.
Rose, 23, will have a daunting task left in front of him as the first round leader at Augusta National has not gone on to win the tournament since Ben Crenshaw did it 20 years ago in 1984.
Only four golfers have lead wire-to-wire at the Masters, those being Craig Wood (1941), Arnold Palmer (1960), Nicklaus (1972) and Ray Floyd (1976).
Palmer is playing in his 50th consecutive and last Masters. He was 12-over-par on Thursday.
Nicklaus, who played well early, was two over with two holes to play when the first round was halted due to darkness.
Nicklaus has hinted this week that this may be his final Masters as well.
Chris DiMarco, who played with Rose in the opening round, is two shots back after firing a 69 on Thursday.
DiMarco, one of 13 golfers who were under par in the opening round, had a hole-in-one on the par 3 sixth hole.
Jay Haas, 50, is also two shots back of Rose after finishing with a 69.
Els is two under with two holes to play.
Darren Clark and Chris Riley are at 70 with Colin Montgomerie, Bernhard Langer and Charles Howell III all a stroke farther back at 71.
Three-time Masters champion Tiger Woods also had to finish this morning before starting the second round. Woods was four-over-par through 14 holes.
Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson also struggled on Thursday and a lot of work to do today.