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 early pace with a 67 of his own. Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, and world number one Scottie Scheffler are among those in contention, but Bryson DeChambeau had a disastrous start, carding a four-over 76. McIlroy's round was notable for his ability to recover from a slow start, with the Northern Irishman finding momentum with successive birdies to reach the turn in 34. He then added further birdies to reach five under, avoiding a repeat of last year's expensive finish. McIlroy said he was pleased with his round, feeling he had gotten the most out of it, and that his experience had helped him to stay patient and string together some good swings. The Masters continues on Friday, with live coverage on Sky Sports.