Rory McIlroy, Sam Burns share lead after day one of Masters with Scottie Scheffler behind

[p]World number two [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcilroy-rory/djwanksN/"]McIlroy[/a], 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 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/burns-sam/Ya8WURp6/"]Sam Burns[/a] atop the leaderboard at Augusta National.[/p][p]"[b]It's a great start. I'm right into the tournament[/b]," McIlroy said. "[b]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.[/b]"[/p][p]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.[/p][embed guid="54f3fd36-26fa-40d9-b238-f7660510b52e" url="https://x.com/TheMasters/status/2042329193053032515?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]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.[/p][p]"[b]I settled into the round really nicely,[/b]" McIlroy said. "[b]I started to find my game a bit on the back.[/b][/p][p]"[b]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[/b]."[/p][p]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.[/p][p]He found a fairway bunker off the 18th tee but landed his approach 41 feet from the hole and two-putted.[/p][p]"[b]Wind is up and down[/b]," McIlroy said. "[b]It's not a strong breeze but you can get some gusts and that can affect your ball flight[/b]."[/p][p]Not since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/spieth-jordan/p0739Ny4/"]Jordan Spieth[/a] in 2016 had a defending champion led after the opening round of the Masters.[/p][p]"[b]I thought I'd feel different[/b]," McIlroy said after his 2025 win to complete a career Grand Slam. "[b]But when I put my tee in the ground and ball on the tee, I felt the same nerves I always feel.[/b]"[/p][p]Burns, seeking his first major win, made three birdies in four holes on the back nine.[/p][p]"[b]I drove it really nice,[/b]" Burns said. "[b]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.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="ec79cc2e-b2c0-4b3b-a184-7f495f3a2c6d" url="https://x.com/TheMasters/status/2042309773635285124?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Burns was the 54-hole leader in last year's US Open before a closing 78 left him sharing seventh, his best major result.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/reed-patrick/OtRhqCKL/"]Patrick Reed[/a], the 2018 Masters champion, eagled the second and eighth to join fellow American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kitayama-kurt/6VVijYoK/"]Kurt Kitayama[/a] and Australian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/day-jason/YFf7Pfqa/"]Jason Day[/a] in sharing third on 69.[/p][h2]Xander's tee bag shot[/h2][p]Four-time major winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/scheffler-scottie/bXfIuBYu/"]Scheffler[/a], 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.[/p][p]England's 45-year-old [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rose-justin/rR1fSdat/"]Justin Rose[/a], 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 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lowry-shane/pAUj2FN5/"]Shane Lowry[/a] and American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schauffele-xander/OnIoiVkm/"]Xander Schauffele[/a].[/p][p]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.[/p][p]"[b]Just flew straight into the bag. It was a great break. That bounce would've put me in the pine straw[/b]," he said. "[b]So thanks to the lady on eight.[/b]"[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dechambeau-bryson/vZG7Cn7s/"]Bryson DeChambeau[/a], the 2020 and 2024 US Open champion, suffered a triple bogey at 11 and shot 76 while Spain's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rahm-jon/h41jCwka/"]Jon Rahm[/a] shot 78.[/p]