McIlroy opens hot at Augusta

Rory McIlroy walked off Augusta National on Thursday with a 5-under 67, and the number that jumps out is not just the score but the company: Sam Burns finished there too, while Scottie Scheffler ended the day three shots back at 2-under 70. (espn.com, cbssports.com) That matters at Augusta because this course usually punishes anyone who starts behind and then chases. The first-round board after Thursday had only two players at 5-under, three more at 3-under, and a cluster at 2-under, so McIlroy did not just play well; he separated himself from most of the field immediately. (cbssports.com, golfchannel.com) The twist is that McIlroy said he did not even hit it especially well early. ESPN reported that he called the opening seven holes shaky by his standards, but he still turned that stretch into a round that became his lowest opening Masters score since 2011. (espn.com) That is a very different Rory McIlroy story from the one Augusta used to tell. For years, the Masters was the major where he carried the most baggage, because it was the last leg he needed for the career Grand Slam and because his 2011 collapse in the final round hung over every April visit after that. (espn.com, espn.com) Now he is playing this tournament from the opposite position. McIlroy won the 2025 Masters to complete the career Grand Slam, and ESPN noted that a second straight green jacket would put him with Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods as the only men to defend the title at Augusta National. (espn.com) That change in pressure showed up in how he played the round. CBS Sports described a start that was not clean on the first nine, but McIlroy kept swinging freely instead of steering the ball around a course where one cautious swing can turn into two extra shots. (cbssports.com) The field behind him is strong enough that one hot round means very little by itself. Scheffler, a two-time Masters champion, sat at 2-under, and players including Xander Schauffele, Justin Rose, and Shane Lowry were also within three shots when the first round ended. (cbssports.com) A few bigger names already gave themselves work to do. CBS Sports’ live leaderboard had Bryson DeChambeau at 4-over, Jon Rahm at 6-over, and several former champions deeper down the board, which is how Augusta can make one bad afternoon feel like a week-long problem. (cbssports.com) If you are trying to watch the shape of the tournament instead of refreshing scores, the Masters is still the rare event that lets fans track almost everything. Golf.com reported that Masters.com and the Masters App are carrying featured groups, featured holes including Amen Corner, and video of every shot from every competitor. (golf.com) So the picture after one round is simple: McIlroy did not need a perfect day to get to the top, and Augusta is much scarier for everyone else when the defending champion can lead while saying he still left shots out there. (espn.com, cbssports.com)