Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Fine start by him feeling
RoRy McIlroy was delighted to break 70 in the first round of the Masters for just the second time as he chases the win required to complete the career grand slam.
McIlroy ended the day three shots behind 2015 champion Jordan Spieth after a 69 which contained four birdies and just one bogey, the 28-year-old crucially making superb par saves on the last three holes.
“Jordan had a pretty strong finish there but this is my best start in a few years,” McIlroy said.
“It’s such a hard golf course to play catch-up on. If you start to chase it around here, that’s when you start to make mistakes.
“However, to be right up there and have the ability to stay patient, because of the position I’m in, that’s a nice luxury I have over the next few days.
“I drove it well. Everything was really solid.
“And if I can continue to play like that over the next three days, I’ll be pretty close.
“It was a much different golf course today than what we’ve seen in practice. The SubAir (system) must have been running nearly all night.
“That’s Augusta. That’s what we sign up to whenever we come here. You know it’s going to be firm and fast.
“Harry (Diamond, his caddie) said this place was at least five or six shots tougher today than it was when we played last week.”
Spieth eagled the eighth and fired five birdies in succession on the back nine to card an opening 66 and finish two shots ahead of Tony Finau and Matt Kuchar.
Former Open champion Henrik Stenson celebrated his 42nd birthday in style by joining McIlroy in a sevenstrong group on three under which also included Patrick Reed, Rafa Cabrera Bello and China’s Li Haotong.
Having led from start to finish in 2015, and for 54 holes in defence of his title, Spieth has now led or shared the lead after nine of his 17 Masters rounds.
In comparison, Tiger Woods, who struggled to an opening 73 in his first competitive round at Augusta National since 2015, has led nine times in 79 rounds.
“I know as well as anyone that anything happens at Augusta National and I’m not going to get ahead of myself,” said Spieth, who blew a five-shot lead with nine holes to play in 2016.
“It’s about riding momentum from