McIlroy Takes Early Lead at Augusta as DeChambeau Struggles

Rory McIlroy, the defending champion, has taken a share of the lead after the first day of The Masters, joined by Sam Burns on five under par. McIlroy, who is seeking to become the first back-to-back winner at The Masters since Tiger Woods, carded an impressive opening-round 67, which included five birdies in an eight-hole stretch. Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, and world number one Scottie Scheffler are also in contention, all within three shots of the lead. In contrast, Bryson DeChambeau had a disastrous start, shooting a four-over 76, while former champion Jon Rahm struggled to a 78. McIlroy's round was marked by a strong finish, with the Northern Irishman finding momentum after a slow start to reach the turn in 34. He then added further birdies to reach five under par, level with Burns. McIlroy was pleased with his performance, saying, 'I felt like I got a lot out of my round. It started pretty scrappy, but I stayed patient and leaned heavily on my experience.'