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 opening round. McIlroy carded a 67, which included five birdies in an eight-hole stretch, to finish five under par. He is joined at the top of the leaderboard by Burns, who set the initial clubhouse target. Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, and world number one Scottie Scheffler are also in contention, but Bryson DeChambeau had a disastrous start, shooting a four-over 76. McIlroy, who is seeking to become the first back-to-back winner at The Masters since Tiger Woods, found momentum after a slow start, with successive birdies helping him reach the turn in 34. He then started a fresh birdie burst by taking advantage of the par-five 13th, eventually pulling level with Burns. McIlroy missed a birdie opportunity for the solo lead at the 17th but equalled the second-lowest opening round by a defending champion. Meanwhile, DeChambeau struggled, taking three attempts to get out of a greenside bunker on his way to a triple-bogey seven at the 11th, leaving him nine strokes adrift.