McIlroy Takes Early Lead at Augusta as DeChambeau Struggles

Rory McIlroy, the defending champion, made a strong start to his bid for back-to-back titles at The Masters, sharing the lead after the first round. McIlroy, who is seeking to join an elite group of players to retain the Green Jacket, carded an impressive 67 to sit atop the leaderboard alongside Sam Burns. The world No 2 found momentum after a slow start, posting five birdies in an eight-hole stretch to reach five under par. Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, and world No 1 Scottie Scheffler are also in contention, while Bryson DeChambeau endured a nightmare start with a four-over 76. McIlroy's performance was all the more impressive given he found just five fairways off the tee, but he saw a change in momentum when he started a fresh birdie burst at the par-five 13th. He avoided a repeat of last year's expensive finish to open with a promising round, equaling the second-lowest opening round by a defending champion. 'I felt like I got a lot out of my round,' McIlroy said, reflecting on his performance. 'It started pretty scrappy, but I stayed patient and leaned heavily on my experience.' Meanwhile, DeChambeau struggled, taking three attempts to escape a greenside bunker on his way to a triple-bogey seven at the 11th, leaving him nine strokes adrift. Former champion Jon Rahm also stuttered to an opening-round 78, failing to register a birdie on the first day.