Rory McIlroy claims share of early lead in hunt for back-to-back Masters wins
Defending champion shoots 5-under-par 67 to sit on top of leaderboard alongside Sam Burns after first round in Augusta
Defending champion Rory McIlroy basked in the warm Georgia sunshine and the glory of his return to Augusta to lay down a marker in his bid for rare back-to-back Masters wins with a share of the first-round lead.
Following a nondescript seven holes in which he struggled with his driving, the Northern Irishman, seeking to become only the fourth man after Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo to retain the green jacket, burst into life with five birdies in eight holes.
A round of 67 catapulted him into a share of the lead with American Sam Burns on five under, two clear of 2018 champion Patrick Reed, Kurt Kitayama and Australian Jason Day.
“I felt like I got a lot out of my round. It started pretty scrappy,” McIlroy said. “I was hitting out of the trees a little bit the first seven holes and then started to string some good swings together from the eighth hole onwards and played those last 11 in five under.
“I stayed really patient when I needed to. Honestly, I couldn’t have got a lot more out of my round. I feel like I leaned heavily on my experience out there to do that.”
A brilliant approach to the long, steeply uphill eighth, brought his second birdie of the day and moved him back into red figures, and he hit it even closer at the next to turn in two under.