The China Mail - Scheffler scrambles, Rose stumbles early at Masters

Scheffler began with two pars, Rose opened with a bogey and even the charge of American Wyndham Clark was blunted by a bogey to start the back nine at firm and fast Augusta National.

Defending champion McIlroy, trying to become only the fourth golfer to capture back-to-back Masters titles, and Burns were on five-under par with Friday afternoon starts scheduled.

McIlroy, in the day's penultimate group, managed his second-best Masters start Thursday with a five-under 67 despite finding only five of 14 fairways.

Burns, the 54-hole leader at last year's US Open, managed his lowest round in 13 at Augusta National.

Gaining ground proved difficult in Friday's early going for Rose and Scheffler, who each began three adrift of the leaders.

Rose, the 2013 US Open champion, closed Thursday with back-to-back bogeys and began Friday with a bogey after hitting his first tee shot under a right-side tree and missing a 10-foot par putt.

The 45-year-old Englishman, a three-time Masters runner-up who lost to McIlroy in a playoff last year, missed seven-foot birdie putts at the par-five second and par-three fourth -- tossing his putter into the air in frustration at the fourth as he stayed four off the pace.

Four-time major winner Scheffler could win a third Masters in only his seventh start, breaking the record eight needed for such a feat shared by Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

Scheffler, last year's British Open and PGA Championship winner, opened with a par and found left pine straw off the second tee on the way to parring a hole he eagled on Thursday.

Clark, the 2023 US Open champion, reeled off three birdies in a row Friday but a bogey to start the back nine left him with Scheffler on two-under, three adrift of the leaders.

The 32-year-old American sank a four-foot birdie putt at the par-five second hole, curled in a 22-foot birdie putt at the third and made an eight-foot birdie putt at the par-three fourth.

Clark, however, found a bunker on his approach at 10 and missed a 12-foot par putt.

Past champion Patrick Reed, fellow American Kurt Kitayama and Australian Jason Day were on three-under with afternoon starts.

Lurking at two-under with later starts were Ireland's Shane Lowry, the 2019 British Open champion, and 10th-ranked Xander Schauffele, a US two-time major winner seeking his first Masters crown.

Some big names were struggling to make Friday's cut to the low 50 and ties.

Scotsman Robert MacIntyre shared 82nd on 80 with Spain's Jon Rahm, a two-time major winner, on 78 and two-time US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau on 76 in a share of 56th.

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