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Rory McIlroy opened his Masters defence with a composed 67 to share the early lead, signalling a serious bid for back-to-back titles.
Rory McIlroy made an early statement in his Masters title defence, opening with a five-under 67 to share the first-round lead with American Sam Burns at Augusta National.
The Northern Irishman, 36, was among just 16 players in the 91-man field to break par on a day expected to be followed by even firmer and faster conditions. His strong start immediately shifts attention from ceremonial duties as reigning champion to a renewed push for back-to-back Green Jackets.
McIlroy's round gathered momentum after a steady opening, with five birdies between the eighth and 15th holes lifting him into contention. The score marks his lowest opening round at Augusta since 2011 and only the third time he has broken 70 on day one at the tournament.
He acknowledged that winning last year's Masters had changed his mindset, suggesting it allowed him to focus more on decision-making and commitment rather than chasing a specific score. That freedom appeared evident as he recovered from errant driving, hitting just five of 14 fairways, but still capitalising on scoring chances.
The par-fives proved decisive. McIlroy birdied all four despite not finding a fairway on any of them, underlining his ability to manage trouble and build a score through experience. His only blemish came at the par-four third, where a poor approach led to a three-putt bogey.
Justin Rose sits three shots off the lead at two under, alongside world number one Scottie Scheffler. Rose, runner-up to McIlroy in last year's play-off, briefly threatened to go closer before late bogeys checked his progress.
Scheffler opened with a 70 after an early eagle and birdie but could not maintain that pace, while Australia's Jason Day is part of the group at three under.
Further back, Jon Rahm struggled to a six-over 78, the worst Masters round of his career, while Bryson DeChambeau carded a 76 after a costly triple bogey. Scotland's Robert MacIntyre endured one of the toughest days, slumping to an eight-over 80 that included a quadruple bogey nine.
Despite the promising start, McIlroy stressed there is a long way to go, noting he began last year seven shots further back after the opening round before going on to win.
