McIlroy atop Masters leaderboard again, while DeChambeau and Rahm will have to fight to make the cut

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Defending champion Rory McIlroy picked up where he left off a year ago.

For a couple other big names at the Masters, just making the cut is no guarantee.

McIlroy and Sam Burns enter Friday’s second round tied for first after opening with 5-under 67s at Augusta National. Those within striking distance include past champions Patrick Reed and Scottie Scheffler, plus a few others who have come close here in Justin Rose, Jason Day, Shane Lowry and Xander Schauffele.

Further back, a couple LIV Golf stars aren’t yet certain of making the weekend. Bryson DeChambeau shot 76 on Thursday, and Jon Rahm was two shots worse.

“It’s a hard golf course,” Rahm said. “Some of the players might have been able to manage a respectable round, but when you have no feel with the swing whatsoever, it’s just not an easy one.”

McIlroy shot one of his best first rounds ever at the Masters, seemingly unburdened by the pressure of the year’s first major after finally winning it last year to complete the career grand slam. Afterward, however, he said — gratefully — that he still felt some nerves.

“I was anxious just like I always am on that first tee. It’s the first round of major season, the first round of the 16 most important rounds of the year,” McIlroy said. “I’m thankful that I felt the same as I always have. I think it would be worrisome if I didn’t feel that way because it definitely still means something to me.”

Burns was at 5 under, and that matched his performance on the four par 5s: an eagle and three birdies.

By the end of Thursday, there were some ominous signs, including a dry forecast that could toughen up Augusta National. Aside from McIlroy and Burns, only three players shot in the 60s.

The par-5 15th hole yielded the fourth-most birdies (21) on day one, but it was also the site of some of the day’s biggest blowups. Danny Willett, Fred Couples and Robert MacIntyre made quadruple bogeys there, and Reed’s second shot went so far past the green it ended up in the pond that’s famously part of the par-3 16th.

“With that hole playing a little bit downwind, even though it wasn’t much wind, you had to land it a pace or two on the green at the most if you wanted to hold it with your second shot,” Scheffler said. “Stuff can happen quick around this place, and it’s really hard.”

Scheffler (70) was 3 under through three but didn’t make another birdie the rest of the day. He’s tied with Rose, Schauffele and Lowry, all of whom have finished in the top three at Augusta National but have never won.

Reed, Day and Kurt Kitayama shot 69.

DeChambeau, Rahm, Viktor Hovland (75) and Patrick Cantlay (77) better get moving if they’re going to be relevant this weekend. MacIntyre (80) is in even worse shape after fuming through a back nine in which he sent an eagle putt clear off the green on No. 13 and shot a nine on 15.

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf