Defending champ McIlroy shares Masters lead after back-nine birdie run
Defending champion Rory McIlroy fired a five-under par 67 to share the lead in the opening round of the 90th Masters (Hector Vivas) 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.