Rory McIlroy made a strong start in his defence of the Masters title, sharing the lead with Sam Burns after both carded five-under-par in the opening round. The 36-year-old is aiming to become only the fourth golfer to successfully defend the Green Jacket in the tournament's history.
The duo are two shots clear of Australia's Jason Day and Americans Patrick Reed and Kurt Kitayama, who are tied in third place. However, several other big names struggled at Augusta National on Thursday, including two-time US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who ended the day four-over-par.
Jason Day, who opened with a solid round, admitted concern over McIlroy's early form. 'Obviously I'm looking at him right now because the leaderboard is staring me right in the face,' Day said. 'He's off to a great start defending the championship, the Masters.'
Bryson DeChambeau abruptly ended an interview after a disappointing round that included a triple-bogey on the 11th. When asked about his custom-made 3D-printed five-iron, he initially gave a curt response before cutting off a follow-up question, saying, 'That's a longer conversation. It's not for here.'
