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7 quotes that define Day 1 of the Masters

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Round 1 of the 85th Masters is in the books.

Justin Rose turned in a sensational 7-under 65 to lead Hideki Matsuyama and Brian Harman by four in what was a tough day for most at Augusta National.

With so much of the story left to be told, here are seven quotes that defined the 2021 Masters' first round:

"It is certainly something that I will cherish for the rest of my life"

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The 85th Masters got off to a special start Thursday morning when Lee Elder, 86, joined Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player as one of the tournament's honorary starters.

Elder, who was the first Black golfer to compete at the Masters in 1975, shared his appreciation for the invitation from Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley to be a part of the tournament's long-running tradition.

Though he wasn't physically able to hit a tee shot, Elder received a standing ovation from those gathered around the first tee early in the morning, including past champions Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson, and Cameron Champ, one of the few Black golfers on the PGA TOUR.

"That's going to be the trick the rest of the week"

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After taking a month off to recover from a back injury, Rose entered the Masters with low expectations and said he'll need to trick himself into keeping that same mindset after firing a remarkable 7-under 65 in Round 1.

Rose used the phrases "enjoying it" and "being grateful" to describe how he felt on the course while going on a 9-under run during his final 11 holes to hold his fourth first-round lead at the Masters of his career.

Tricking himself may be more difficult as the pressure to win his first green jacket cranks up, especially when you consider Rose's close calls at Augusta. He's a two-time runner-up, the most recent coming when he lost in a playoff to Sergio Garcia in 2017.

"I should ask for an autographed glove"

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If you want to know how Rory McIlroy's first round went, just ask his dad, Gerry, who got plunked by his son's errant shot on No. 7 and joked about asking for an autographed glove, according to CBS' Kyle Porter.

McIlroy went on to card the worst opening-round score of his career at the Masters with a 4-over 76. He trails Rose by 11.

However, McIlroy was still able to laugh at the fact his dad didn't walk away with a serious injury.

"I think he just needs to go and put some ice on - maybe I'll autograph a bag of frozen peas for him," McIlroy said.

It's worth noting that McIlroy shot 75 in Round 1 of November's Masters and still managed to finish in a tie for fifth.

"Maybe not quite as sharp as it was"

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Dustin Johnson provided an honest answer when asked to compare his current form to when he set the scoring record at the Masters in November.

The defending champion double-bogeyed the 18th hole to shoot a 2-over 74, which snapped an impressive streak. His score on Thursday marked his first over-par round in 11 trips around Augusta, a stretch that dates back to 2018.

Here are two stats that show just how much more difficult Augusta is playing compared to in the fall.

Johnson is far from out of it, though. He's only five shots behind those tied for second.

"We just can't calculate and adjust the numbers very well"

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Bryson DeChambeau said his team's lack of understanding of how the ball reacts to awkward lies - which are prevalent throughout Augusta - is the main reason he shot 76 in Round 1.

He said hitting from downhill slopes into uphill greens, and from uphill slopes into downhill greens, is causing some miscalculations on his approach shot distances. DeChambeau hit a number of his irons 10-to-15 yards long, which left him scrambling for par on many occasions.

The longest hitter on the PGA Tour carded only a single birdie on Day 1, and, in a similar fashion to how he opened his tournament in November, made a mess of the first few holes. DeChambeau recorded a double-bogey on the par-3 fourth and wound up way right of the fifth green after his second shot, which led to another bogey.

"Probably the luckiest break I've ever gotten in professional golf"

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Jordan Spieth didn't shy away from how flukey his chip-in eagle was on No. 15, which flipped his score from 1-over to 1-under, according to NBC Sports' Will Gray.

Spieth, who was over the green in two and pitching back toward the water, hit his chip hard enough that, had it not hit the flagstick and went in, his ball would have easily wound up in the drink.

The lucky break kept Spieth in red numbers after Round 1 for the fifth time of his career at the Masters. On the previous four occasions, his results were a win, two runner-ups, and one third place, according to the PGA Tour.

The eagle also helped erase a seven Spieth made on No. 9. Only four players have ever made a seven and won the Masters.

"This is about as fast as I've seen it"

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The talk all week has been about how firm and fast Augusta National is playing, and Ian Woosnam confirmed those conditions.

The Welshman, who's making his 32nd Masters appearance, struggled to remember a time when the greens were as fast as Thursday's.

Round 1's scoring average is proof of how difficult it was. The field of 88 players averaged 74.52, which makes Rose's 65 that much more impressive. For comparison, the first-round average from November's tournament was 71.4.

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