AUGUSTA, Georgia—Nobody has come from more than seven shots back after 18 holes to win the Masters, a statistic that shows Rory McIlroy’s dire predicament after he plunged 11 strokes behind leader Justin Rose at Augusta National on Thursday.
McIlroy made three successive bogeys early en route to a four-over-par 76, his worst first-round score in 13 appearances at the tournament, one shot more than his disappointing effort at last November’s Masters.
Eleven years after nearly winning a Green Jacket as a precocious 20-year-old, the Northern Irishman seems further than ever from capturing the one title he still needs to complete the career Grand Slam of all four majors.
No wo…
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