Golf-Masters-Power hitter Quiros saves best for last (Reuters)

By Julian Linden

AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 7 (Reuters) – 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.”

(Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes; To query or comment on
this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)