Augusta: Spain`s Alvaro Quiros birdied the last two holes at Augusta National on Thursday to join Rory McIlroy as the first round leader at the Masters.
No one was more surprised than Quiros himself to see his name at the top of the leaderboard but his late charge was as spectacular as it was unexpected.With the sun already setting over the pine tree-lined course, only the golfing faithful remained to watch the final group finish their rounds but it was certainly worth the wait.
Quiros, who claimed his fifth European Tour title at the Dubai Desert Classic in February but has since struggled for form and confidence, was playing one of the best rounds of his life.
In each of his two previous appearances at the Masters, the 28-year-old Spaniard had missed the cut and had never broken par for a round.
But the massive hitter who consistently drives the ball over 320 yards changed all that after reaching the turn in three-under-par 33 and then covering the back nine in 32 for a spectacular seven-under 65.
"The two previous years, I came to the Masters thinking that I can play well, shoot low, and this was my main mistake," the self-deprecating Quiros explained.
"This golf course, it`s too tough. Every single situation has to be measured -- the risk, the reward. Today, I was very happy making pars. This is why probably shoot 65."
Quiros, who has often said he has the hands of a bricklayer, was even more surprised to learn that he ended the as joint pacesetter because he never bothered to check the leaderboard before starting his round.
"I just checked what the other Spanish guys were doing, nothing else," he added."You have to see, this is my third appearance (at the Masters) and my best score was 75. I cannot be pretending to see the leaderboard, it would be stupid."
Despite his sizzling start, Quiros said his past experiences at Augusta National had left him with modest ambitions for the rest of the tournament.
"My target tomorrow is make the cut," he said. "It would be stupid to think about shooting 65 again because it`s not my way."
"As I said before, 75 was my best round here. It could be just one good round of golf. So to avoid that, I want to think about the next shot that I`m going to have, which is the tee shot on the first hole."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.