Masters 2026: Rory McIlroy's liberation arrived right back where it began
Rory McIlroy looked in total control of himself at Augusta National on Thursday at the Masters.
AUGUSTA, Ga. — The strut that borders on a skip. Welcomed to every tee box and green with warm shouts of his name.
The tilted nods and faint smirks and brief waves when the ball finds a good score, which on this day was often. This is what winning was supposed to unlock in Rory McIlroy: a player in total command of himself. The liberation we feared never came turned out only to be delayed.
It arrived Thursday, right back where it began. He was the man in royal blue marching across the emerald, not carrying the weight of this place but wearing it. A march that only looks like that when you know it belongs to you, and that you'll get to make it again for the rest of your life.
Only three players have defended the Masters. McIlroy's attempt to become the fourth received an auspicious start Thursday, a 67 putting him in a share of the opening-round lead. “Great start to the week obviously.
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