McIlroy Seizes Early Lead at Augusta as DeChambeau Struggles

Rory McIlroy, the defending champion, made a strong start to his Masters title defense, sharing the lead with Sam Burns after the first 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 back in tied-third. Justin Rose, who finished runner-up to McIlroy last year, is also in contention, along with Shane Lowry and world number one Scottie Scheffler, who are all within three shots of the lead. In contrast, Bryson DeChambeau had a disappointing opening round, shooting a four-over 76, while former champion Jon Rahm struggled to a 78. McIlroy's round was marked by a slow start, but he found momentum with successive birdies, eventually reaching the turn in 34. He continued to play well, taking advantage of the par-five 13th and 15th holes to reach five under par. McIlroy reflected on his round, saying, 'I felt like I got a lot out of my round. It started pretty scrappy, but I stayed patient and played some good golf towards the end.' The Masters continues on Friday, with live coverage on Sky Sports.