Masters Tournament Round 1

Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns delivered clinical opening performances on Thursday, April 9, 2026, to take a share of the lead at the Masters. McIlroy’s objective was to start his title defense with momentum, and he succeeded by carding a 5-under-par 67, matching his lowest opening round at Augusta since 2011. Burns joined him at the top of the leaderboard with an equally impressive 67, highlighted by a spectacular eagle on the par-5 second hole. The round was a display of tactical discipline in increasingly difficult afternoon conditions. Kurt Kitayama, Jason Day, and Patrick Reed sit just two strokes back after posting rounds of 69. Justin Rose appeared set to join the leaders before a late stumble, finishing at 2-under-par 70 alongside Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and Shane Lowry. The session saw several high-profile struggles, notably from Jon Rahm, who carded a birdie-free 78, illustrating the harsh penalties for missing on the wrong side of Augusta's pins. After Round 1 Top 10 plus ties Pos. /Player /To Par /R1 T1 Sam Burns -5 67 T1 Rory McIlroy -5 67 T3 Kurt Kitayama -3 69 T3 Jason Day -3 69 T3 Patrick Reed -3 69 T6 Shane Lowry -2 70 T6 Xander Schauffele -2 70 T6 Justin Rose -2 70 T6 Scottie Scheffler -2 70 T10 Haotong Li -1 71 T10 Nick Taylor -1 71 T10 Tommy Fleetwood -1 71 T10 Brian Campbell -1 71 T10 Aaron Rai -1 71 T10 Jacob Bridgeman -1 71 T10 Gary Woodland -1 71