McIlroy Takes Early Lead at Augusta as DeChambeau Struggles

Rory McIlroy made a strong start to his title defense at The Masters, sharing the lead with Sam Burns after the first round. McIlroy, who is seeking to become the first back-to-back winner at Augusta since Tiger Woods, carded a 67 to finish five under par. He was 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 miserable day, carding a 76 to leave him well off the pace. McIlroy, who won his first Masters title last year, began slowly but found his rhythm on the back nine, birdieing four of his last 11 holes to move into a share of the lead. 'I felt like I got a lot out of my round,' he said. 'It started pretty scrappy, but I started to string some good swings together from the eighth hole onwards and played those last 11 in five under.' Burns, meanwhile, was pleased with his career-best round at The Masters, and will be looking to build on his strong start when the second round gets underway. DeChambeau, on the other hand, will be hoping to bounce back from a disappointing opening day, which included a triple-bogey seven at the 11th. With 16 players breaking par on a firm and fast Augusta course, the stage is set for an exciting second round, with McIlroy and Burns leading the way.