- Jason Day best of the Aussies at two under par
- Min Woo Lee and Cameron Smith one shot adrift
- Play begins again on Saturday from 1.30am AEST
An ‘under the radar’ opening round from Jason Day was the highlight for the Aussie contingent on day one of the 2025 Masters.
English star Justin Rose bloomed and world number two Rory McIlroy blinked at Augusta National – and looming large is defending champion Scottie Scheffler.
Day, who gave up a late lead to lose the green jacket to fellow Aussie Adam Scott 12 years ago, barely missed a target in a bogey-free, two-under 70.
Rising star Min Woo Lee and a scrambling Cameron Smith (71) also gave themselves a chance with one-under efforts while Cameron Davis (74) and Scott (77) drifted.
Smith holed a long birdie putt on the 18th to sit equal 11th, a pleasing finale to what he feared was going to be a ‘long day’ after hitting just six greens in regulation.
Day oozed control in parring his first 11 holes before back-to-back birdies helped him finish with a two-under 70 in a tie for seventh.
An ‘under the radar’ opening round from Jason Day (pictured) where he a shot two-under 70 was the highlight for the Aussie contingent on day one of the 2025 Masters
Queenslander Cameron Smith (pictured) was also happy after shooting one under par at Augusta National
Lee (71) mixed grit and brilliance in his first event since winning a maiden PGA Tour title in Houston, his birdie putt on the last lipping out as he matched Smith at one under.
Day told reporters he is very ‘comfortable with where my game is at right now’ before conceding he ‘has to do some work on the greens.’
‘Hopefully some more putts drop,’ he added.
Lee, 26, overshot his approach to the first and dropped a stroke that he immediately cancelled out on the second hole.
He was one-under at the turn and then scrambled nicely on the par-four 11th when his obstructed second shot sprayed right, narrowly missing newly-planted pines.
Lee, who battled the flu and a broken finger and still finished tied for 22nd at Augusta last year, was pleased with his best first-round effort – by two shots – in his fourth visit.
‘Just lipped out,’ he said of his putt on the 18th.
‘It’s one of those things; if you’re giving yourself birdie putts at Augusta National, you’re doing a good job.’
