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| Justin Rose holds it together to sit one off the lead at Firestone | Justin Rose holds it together to sit one off the lead at Firestone |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The newly crowned Open champion, Rory McIlroy, shot an opening 69 on his return to action in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio but Justin Rose carded a flawless five-under-par 65 to lie just one shot behind the leader, Marc Leishman of Australia. | The newly crowned Open champion, Rory McIlroy, shot an opening 69 on his return to action in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio but Justin Rose carded a flawless five-under-par 65 to lie just one shot behind the leader, Marc Leishman of Australia. |
| McIlroy, playing his first event since claiming his third major title, played his opening 11 holes in three under par at Firestone Country Club but the 25-year-old then three-putted the 3rd hole – his 12th – and ran up a double-bogey six on the 8th after finding a greenside bunker with his approach and taking four more shots to get down before finishing in style with birdie on the 9th to finish one under par. | McIlroy, playing his first event since claiming his third major title, played his opening 11 holes in three under par at Firestone Country Club but the 25-year-old then three-putted the 3rd hole – his 12th – and ran up a double-bogey six on the 8th after finding a greenside bunker with his approach and taking four more shots to get down before finishing in style with birdie on the 9th to finish one under par. |
| Rose, who turned 34 on Wednesday, birdied the second and ninth to be out in 33 before picking up further shots on the 15th, 16th and 18th. “I’m really happy with that number because it wasn’t the most in-control round of golf,” Rose said. | Rose, who turned 34 on Wednesday, birdied the second and ninth to be out in 33 before picking up further shots on the 15th, 16th and 18th. “I’m really happy with that number because it wasn’t the most in-control round of golf,” Rose said. |
| “The scorecard will tell you something different but I got into some trouble a couple of times and round these greens you can get some gnarly lies where it isn’t a simple up and down, even if it looks like it. | “The scorecard will tell you something different but I got into some trouble a couple of times and round these greens you can get some gnarly lies where it isn’t a simple up and down, even if it looks like it. |
| “I kept the scorecard clean with a really good mix of some good iron play and good scrambling when I missed and that’s what you have to do round here.” | “I kept the scorecard clean with a really good mix of some good iron play and good scrambling when I missed and that’s what you have to do round here.” |
| Rose won back-to-back events for the first time in his career before the Open Championship. | Rose won back-to-back events for the first time in his career before the Open Championship. |
| “I’m beginning to play really, really well and build up some confidence,” he said. “I think that win at Congressional [in the Quicken Loans National] came at exactly the right time. | “I’m beginning to play really, really well and build up some confidence,” he said. “I think that win at Congressional [in the Quicken Loans National] came at exactly the right time. |
| “I had a slightly slow start at the beginning of the year and couldn’t find the gear I was looking for and then boom, it happened immediately. That’s why you have to stay patient in this game. | “I had a slightly slow start at the beginning of the year and couldn’t find the gear I was looking for and then boom, it happened immediately. That’s why you have to stay patient in this game. |
| “It’s a good time to play well, there are lot of big tournaments coming up so I’m happy I’ve found the right gear at the right time.” | “It’s a good time to play well, there are lot of big tournaments coming up so I’m happy I’ve found the right gear at the right time.” |
| Rose joined the American Ryan Moore and the former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel in second place, Moore also shooting an error-free 65 to improve his chances of securing a Ryder Cup berth. | Rose joined the American Ryan Moore and the former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel in second place, Moore also shooting an error-free 65 to improve his chances of securing a Ryder Cup berth. |
| The former world No1 Tiger Woods was one shot ahead of McIlroy after an erratic 68 which featured six birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. |