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 with Sam Burns after the opening round at Augusta National. 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, with Jason Day, Patrick Reed, and Kurt Kitayama two shots behind in tied-third. Justin Rose, who finished runner-up to McIlroy last year, is among a group of players three shots off the lead, while Bryson DeChambeau had a disastrous start, carding a four-over 76. McIlroy, who is seeking to become the first player to retain the Green Jacket 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, before another birdie at the next took him to four under with four holes to play. McIlroy avoided a repeat of last year's expensive finish to an opening round, taking advantage of the par-five 15th to pull level with Burns. "I felt like I got a lot out of my round," McIlroy said. "It started pretty scrappy, but I stayed patient and leaned heavily on my experience to get the most out of it." World No 1 Scottie Scheffler, who threatened the clubhouse target early on, slipped three off the leaders after playing the rest of his round in one over. Shane Lowry and Xander Schauffele are also within three of the lead, while Aaron Rai is among a group on one under as he bids to become the first player to claim the Masters Par 3 Contest and major victory in the same week.