McIlroy Makes Strong Start in Bid to Defend Masters Title

Rory McIlroy has begun his title defense at The Masters with a strong opening round, refusing to get ahead of himself despite taking the early lead. A year after completing the career Grand Slam, McIlroy is aiming to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters titles. He carded an impressive five-under 67, mixing six birdies with a lone bogey, to share the early advantage with Sam Burns. McIlroy's round was marked by patience and resilience, as he recovered from wayward tee shots to string together good swings and make crucial birdies. The Northern Irishman is cautious about his chances, saying, 'It's a great start, but there's a long way to go.' He added that he felt the same nerves as always at the start of the tournament and was glad to have settled into the round quickly. McIlroy's impressive round has drawn praise from experts, with Butch Harmon describing him as an 'escape artist' for managing to navigate difficult positions on the course. With a star-studded leaderboard, McIlroy will face stiff competition, but his strong start has set him up well for the rest of the tournament.