Rory McIlroy made a dream start in his bid to defend his title at The Masters, sharing the lead after the opening round at Augusta National Golf Club.
The defending champion shot a five-under 67, finishing strongly by playing his final 11 holes in five under par. He is tied at the top with Sam Burns, who also carded a 67.
The pair hold a two-shot lead over Jason Day, Patrick Reed and Kurt Kitayama at three under. Just behind, within three shots of the lead, are Justin Rose, Shane Lowry and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
Conditions were challenging with firm and fast greens, and only 16 players broke par. Meanwhile, several top players struggled—Bryson DeChambeau shot a four-over 76 after a triple bogey, while Jon Rahm finished with a 78 without recording a single birdie.
McIlroy, aiming to become the first back-to-back Masters winner since Tiger Woods, showed patience after a shaky start and highlighted the importance of experience in his round.
After day one, the leaderboard is tight—but the tone has been set by the defending champion.