Here comes Rory: defending champ surges, ties burns for lead

AUGUSTA (AFP) — Rory McIlroy reeled off three consecutive back-nine birdies to fire a five-under par 67 and seize a share of the lead in Thursday’s opening round of the 90th Masters with top-ranked Scottie Scheffler three adrift.

World number two McIlroy, trying to become only the fourth golfer to win back-to-back Masters titles, curled in a 29-foot birdie putt at the par-five 15th as he matched Sam Burns atop the leaderboard at Augusta National.

“It’s a great start. I’m right into the tournament,” McIlroy said. “Great start but I can’t get ahead of myself. There’s a long way to go, but I’m happy with where I’m at.”

The five-time major champion from Northern Ireland pitched to three feet and tapped in for birdie at the par-five second hole but left a nine-foot par putt hanging on the edge to bogey the third.

McIlroy answered with a tap-in birdie at the eighth after reaching the green in two then made an eight-foot birdie putt at the ninth.

“I settled into the round really nicely,” McIlroy said. “I started to find my game a bit on the back.

“When I was missing tee shots on the front nine, I kept swinging away. Felt sooner or later I would find it, and I did. Found it at the eighth hole and played well from there.”

McIlroy charged to the top with a 14-foot birdie putt at the par-five 13th, a seven-foot birdie putt at the par-four 14th and his impressive putt at 15.

He found a fairway bunker off the 18th tee but landed his approach 41 feet from the hole and two-putted.

“Wind is up and down,” McIlroy said. “It’s not a strong breeze but you can get some gusts and that can affect your ball flight.”

Not since Jordan Spieth in 2016 had a defending champion led after the opening round of the Masters.

“I thought I’d feel different,” McIlroy said after his 2025 win to complete a career Grand Slam. “But when I put my tee in the ground and ball on the tee, I felt the same nerves I always feel.”

Burns, seeking his first major win, made three birdies in four holes on the back nine.

“I drove it really nice,” Burns said. “You can get in some pretty tough spots getting off the fairway. Getting onto the green, I felt like I was able to give myself some opportunities.”

Burns was the 54-hole leader in last year’s US Open before a closing 78 left him sharing seventh, his best major result.

Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, eagled the second and eighth to join fellow American Kurt Kitayama and Australian Jason Day in sharing third on 69.

Xander’s tee bag shot

Four-time major winner Scheffler, seeking a third Masters crown in five seasons, shot 70 to share sixth. He sank an 18-foot eagle putt at the second and drove the green at the par-four third to set up a tap-in birdie but got no lower all day.

England’s 45-year-old Justin Rose, the 2013 US Open winner who lost a Masters playoff to McIlroy last year, closed with back-to-back bogeys to join the pack on 70 that also included Ireland’s Shane Lowry and American Xander Schauffele.

Tenth-ranked Schauffele, the 2024 British Open and PGA Championship winner, sent his tee shot at the eighth into a spectator’s souvenir bag but recovered to par the hole.

“Just flew straight into the bag. It was a great break. That bounce would’ve put me in the pine straw,” he said. “So thanks to the lady on eight.”

Bryson DeChambeau, the 2020 and 2024 US Open champion, suffered a triple bogey at 11 and shot 76 while Spain’s Jon Rahm shot 78.