Justin Rose, unfailingly polite even in these recently stressful times, allowed himself a brief moment of asperity yesterday at the Holden Australian Open.

The 18-year-old Englishman had just compiled a commendable level-par round of 72 over the demanding Royal Adelaide course, a score so good that it left him only three behind the first-round leader, the Australian Stuart Appleby.

It also left him with an exceedingly good chance of making his first cut since the British Open, and, naturally, someone reminded him of this.

"I'm getting a bit fed up with this stupid cut thing," he said, slightly sharply. "I'm a better player than that. If you set your sights on making the cut then that's all you're going to achieve."

Royal Adelaide, lengthened and toughened by Peter Thomson to provide a stronger test, achieved its objective. To miss the fairway was, unless lucky, to drop a shot.

It made for some surprising scoring: Nick Faldo registered 77; Fred Couples only one fewer; Billy Mayfair, twice a winner on the US Tour this year, took 74; and Stephen Allan, the winner of the German Open in August, finished with an 80.

But Greg Norman, in his first four-round tournament since he missed the cut in the US Masters in April and departed for shoulder surgery, was three under par after eight holes and finished with a two-under 70.