McIlroy Takes Early Lead at Augusta as DeChambeau Struggles

Rory McIlroy, the defending champion, made a strong start to his title defense at The Masters, sharing the lead after the first round. McIlroy, who is seeking to become the first back-to-back winner at The Masters since Tiger Woods, carded a 67 to join Sam Burns at the top of the leaderboard. Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, and world No 1 Scottie Scheffler are also in contention, but Bryson DeChambeau had a disappointing start, shooting a four-over 76. McIlroy's round was marked by a strong finish, with five birdies in his last 11 holes, as he drew level with Burns. The Northern Irishman, who is looking to join an elite group of players to have retained the Green Jacket, was pleased with his performance, saying he 'got a lot out of his round' and leaned heavily on his experience to navigate the challenging Augusta National course.