Justin Rose leads by 2 shots

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) -- Welcome back, Justin Rose.
Say goodbye, Arnold Palmer.
And, hey Tiger, watch where you're throwing those clubs.
Rose, who finished fourth at the British Open as a 17-year-old amateur, slipped into obscurity after turning pro. But he's started to get his game back in shape, which was quickly apparent in the opening round of the Masters.
The Englishman started with two birdies. He finished with two more. He signed for a 5-under 67 Thursday, giving him a two-shot lead in the first major of the year.
"If you want to be one of the best players in the world, now is the time to start coming through," said Rose, the youngest pro in the field at 23.
One final trek
Then there's Palmer, the oldest one still playing at 74. The King bid farewell to the Masters today with one final trek through the rolling hills, colorful azaleas and towering pines.
Palmer opened with an 84 to ensure he'll miss the cut for the 21st year in a row. This is his 50th Masters, a final chance for Arnie's Army to give its hero a fitting sendoff.
"It'll be done," Palmer said. "I'll never say it wasn't fun."
Amazingly, Woods might join Palmer on the sidelines. The three-time winner was 4-over through 14 holes when darkness chased him off the course, not a single birdie on his card. His frustration was apparent from all the clubs flying around, which kept caddie Steve Williams on his toes.
The 68th Masters featured some amazing shots (Chris DiMarco's hole-in-one at No. 6 and Ben Curtis' eagle from the fairway at 7) and some annoying weather (rain halted play for two hours).
But nothing was more poignant than Tom Watson, a single tear running down his left cheek, remembering his close friend and caddie Bruce Edwards.
Caddie Edwards dies
About two hours before Watson teed off, he learned that Edwards had died during the night, succumbing to his yearlong battle against Lou Gehrig's disease.
"You lost the man in body, but you didn't lose him in spirit," Watson said. "I'm relying on his spirit to take care of me."
Because of the rain, 18 players were forced to finish their rounds this morning, then get started on another 18 holes. Woods was among them, his record cut streak in a bit of peril.
Then again, it's certainly too early to count Woods out of the chase for the green jacket. Don't forget 1997, when he also opened with 40 on the front nine and went on to lap the field by 12 strokes.
Rose had a two-stroke lead over DiMarco and 50-year-old Jay Haas, who were at 69. Darren Clarke and Chris Riley shot 70, and Ernie Els also was 2-under with another hole to play.
Rose could have taken his score even lower, missing a couple of 10-footers at 15 and 16. But he had no complaints about the way he started -- or finished.
"It's a dream start," Rose said.
The Englishman hasn't been in this sort of spotlight since the 1998 British Open, when he chipped in for birdie on the final hole at Royal Birkdale to finish fourth.
He turned pro the next week, then missed 21 consecutive cuts before his game slowly recovered. He has won four times in Europe, and tied for fifth at the U.S. Open last year.
"There were times when you're thinking this is going to be a long, uphill struggle," Rose said. "Hopefully, it's time to move onward and upward even more."
DiMarco, who led midway through the 2001 Masters, provided the biggest thrill at No. 6 when his 5-iron from 198 yards trickled into the cup. The only player to avoid bogey, he shot 69.
"Just a perfect shot," DiMarco said after the fourth hole-in-one of his career.
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