'I still kept swinging' - Rory McIlroy posts birdies burst to charge up Masters leaderboard with sparkling start in major title defence
Masters champion Rory McIlroy backed his build-up claim of “there’s still a lot that I want to do” with a burst of first-round birdies to launch a title defence around Augusta that left fans thrilled on the way to five-under-par 67.
It was an assured and exciting statement of intent following concerns the early part of McIlroy’s return to Georgia after last year’s first-ever Masters triumph – that came with the added bonus of a magical majors career clean sweep – may impact focus given so many commitments off the course.
However, following a string of demands including the media spotlight and champion’s meal, Thursday’s timetable turned attention back to the spectacular challenges from tee to green.
And McIlroy delivered – including a 29-footer on the 15th that pushed McIlroy to a shared lead alongside Sam Burns.
It marked a hat-trick run of shaving shots as birdies across the 13th, 14th and 15th holes offered a back-leg boost alongside gains over the second, eighth and ninth holes – with his only blemish a bogey on the third.
He was close to another birdie at the 17th and produced a slick recovery on the final hole.
McIlroy can now enter Friday’s second round (6.44pm start, UK time) encouraged in his efforts to follow Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Sir Nick Faldo as a back-to-back Masters winner.
For McIlroy’s Holywood home colleague Tom McKibbin, his debut appearance at the Augusta event opened with a bogey setback before a birdie boost across the first two holes of a three-over-par 75.
McIlroy told Sky Sports following the first round: "I feel like I settled into the round really nicely and really quickly.
"And I’ve kept saying all week, there is a certain freedom. Like, if I hit in the trees, it’s ok, I’ll figure it out.
"So I think just wherever I hit it on this golf course, I feel like I’ve seen it all over the past 18 years, and I always feel like I can figure it out, get it to the front of the green, make a par and move on.
"I did that quite a bit on the front nine today and then I started to sort of find my game a bit on the back.
"I think I swung freely. Even when I was missing tee shots on the front nine, I still kept swinging. I didn’t start to get tentative or guidey.
"I kept swinging away just hoping that sooner or later I’ll find, and I did. I started to string some good swings together from the eighth hole, and from then on I played some really good golf."
He added: "It’s a great start. There’s a long way to go. I’m right in the tournament and it’s a lot better than starting from seven behind going into the second round like I was last year.
"Great start, but can’t get ahead of myself. There’s a long way to go, but feeling good with where I’m at."