McIlroy Takes Share of Early Lead at Augusta as DeChambeau Struggles

Rory McIlroy, the defending champion, made a strong start to his bid for back-to-back Masters titles, sharing the lead with Sam Burns after the opening day at Augusta National. McIlroy carded a 67, including five birdies in an eight-hole stretch, to finish five under par. He is joined at the top by Burns, with Jason Day, Patrick Reed, and Kurt Kitayama two shots behind in tied-third. Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, and world No 1 Scottie Scheffler are also in contention, but Bryson DeChambeau had a disappointing day, struggling to a four-over 76. McIlroy found momentum after a slow start, with successive birdies helping him reach the turn in 34, and he continued to build on his score with another birdie at the 14th. He missed a chance to take the solo lead at the 17th but still equalled the second-lowest opening round by a defending champion. 'I felt like I got a lot out of my round,' McIlroy said. 'It started pretty scrappy, but I stayed patient and leaned on my experience to get the most out of it.'