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 with Sam Burns after the first round. McIlroy carded an opening-round 67, which included five birdies in an eight-hole stretch, to finish on five under par. Burns, who set the initial clubhouse target, is also on five under, with Jason Day, Patrick Reed, and Kurt Kitayama two shots back in tied-third. Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, and world No 1 Scottie Scheffler are all within three shots of the lead, but Bryson DeChambeau had a disastrous start, shooting four over par. McIlroy, who is looking to become the first back-to-back winner at The Masters since Tiger Woods, was pleased with his round, saying he 'got a lot out of it' despite a slow start. The Northern Irishman found momentum when he carded successive birdies to reach the turn in 34, and he continued to play well on the back nine, taking advantage of the par-five 13th and 15th holes to pull level with Burns. McIlroy missed a birdie opportunity at the 17th but still equalled the second-lowest opening round by a defending champion. The Masters continues on Friday, with live coverage on Sky Sports Golf from 2pm.