Competing in only his second Masters, Rai surged early to post a six‑under‑par 21, finishing one clear of Jacob Bridgeman and John Keefer. The Englishman played alongside former Masters champions Patrick Reed (2018) and Jon Rahm (2023), which was an experience he described as “phenomenal”.
“The experience was phenomenal,” he said. “We shared the round with Patrick Reed and Jon Rahm, who had their family and kids out. I was there with my wife as well. Yeah, just a lovely day.
“Definitely didn’t expect to play quite as well as I did. But my wife was incredible. She read my putts for me. She plays herself. So, yeah, really good teamwork. I’m not sure if it’s a good omen or not. But yeah, just really nice to play well, enjoy it and, yeah, just share the experience with my family.”