Former Masters champ Jordan Spieth expressed his astonishment at the pristine and speedy condition of Augusta National’s fairways this week. It comes as Rory McIlroy’s Masters approach revealed as PGA Tour rival shares different plan.

The Dallas native, who is on a quest for his second Green Jacket, remains a formidable force in golf despite recent injuries. Now 31, Spieth didn’t make the cut at last year’s Masters but entered the iconic event this year seeking redemption ten years after his triumph, and was paired with Tom Kim and England’s Tyrrell Hatton for the opening round.

Before teeing off at Augusta on Thursday, Spieth commented on the course’s state, which is revered across America and the globe. “I think I’m pleasantly surprised and pretty shocked at how the fairways are,” Spieth remarked before his first round at Augusta National on Thursday. Meanwhile, Gary Player saw son banned from Masters for life after incident with balls.

Augusta faced thunderstorms on Monday, causing heavy rainfall and halting the practice round for the day. Yet, with the skies clearing before the tournament’s start, Spieth was impressed by the maintenance of the fairways, reports the Express.

“Normally, when we get rain out here, it’s mowed into the grain, so you just worry about mud balls the whole week,” Spieth continued. “And they sand-capped them again. I don’t know how many times they’ve done it.

“I think they have it right where they want it. I think it will get harder and firmer as we get towards the weekend, and the forecast looks like it’s going to hold up and just be a beautiful Masters.”

Starting his first round alongside Kim and Hatton, Spieth launched into Augusta National with a solid showing. Scoring birdies on the first, third, and eighth and slipping with a bogey on four, he wrapped up the front nine at -2.

But, some snags at Amen Corner and a double-bogey kicking off the back nine resulted in an opening round of 73, landing him at T38 in the standings.

Topping the leaderboard with the day’s standout performance was England’s Justin Rose. The seasoned US Open winner and Masters runner-up of 2017 navigated Augusta with remarkable precision, notching only one bogey at the 18th but racking up eight birdies, ending the day a striking seven under par with a scorching 65.

Hot on Rose’s heels are tournament favorite Scottie Scheffler and Swedish sensation and 2024 Masters second-placer Ludvig Aberg, who both demonstrated formidable skill in the opening round, staying well in contention. Scheffler, aiming for back-to-back wins, turned in a pristine card of 68 sans a single bogey for the day.

Meanwhile, Aberg matched that score despite a lone bogey on the fourth, tying him with Scheffler and Canada’s Corey Conners for second place as the competition heats up.

As the round reached its peak, all signs pointed to Rory McIlroy joining the top contenders. His pre-tournament form had been nothing short of spectacular, leading many to predict that he would clinch his first Masters title and complete a major Grand Slam this month.

However, despite some steady play and entering the 15th hole with a -4 score, McIlroy’s day took a turn for the worse. He suffered a disappointing collapse, double-bogeying the 15th and 17th holes, which left him finishing on par with an opening round score of 72.