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 Masters titles, sharing the lead after the first round at Augusta National. McIlroy stormed into contention with five birdies in an eight-hole stretch, posting an opening-round 67 to join Sam Burns at the top of the leaderboard. World No 1 Scottie Scheffler, Justin Rose, and Shane Lowry are also in the mix, despite a tough day for Bryson DeChambeau, who carded a four-over 76. McIlroy's round was marked by a slow start, but he found momentum with successive birdies and went on to equal the second-lowest opening round by a defending champion. He reflected on his round, saying, 'I felt like I got a lot out of my round... I stayed really patient when I needed to.' With 16 players breaking par in challenging conditions, the stage is set for an exciting tournament.