Rory McIlroy fires 67 in his lowest Masters Round 1 since ’11
AUGUSTA, Ga. — When Rory McIlroy Pushed his tee into the bottom at Augusta National’s first tee field Thursday morning, he felt his proper hand shake.
It was a well-known feeling, however on this specific day — his first aggressive spherical on the Masters since he secured his long-awaited victory and the profession grand slam final yr — it was additionally a sense he welcomed with open arms.
“I was anxious just like I always am. I’m thankful that I felt the same. … I think it would be terrible if I didn’t feel that way because it definitely still means something to me,” McIlroy stated. “That’s a good thing. That’s why we want to be here. We want to be able to try to play our best golf when we’re feeling like that.”
McIlroy didn’t, by his requirements, play his finest golf in the opening spherical but nonetheless managed his 18 holes with a mix of endurance and freedom that resulted in a 5-under 67, good for a share of Day 1 lead with Sam Burns and his lowest opening spherical on the Masters since 2011.
“I didn’t hit the ball very well the first seven holes, and sometimes here that would lead me to get tentative and a little guide-y,” McIlroy stated. “I kept swinging, just trusting that I’m going to find it eventually. So maybe that was a little bit different.”
Despite hitting solely 5 of 14 fairways, McIlroy confirmed he is aware of precisely tips on how to rating round right here, discovering birdies on the thirteenth and fifteenth holes regardless of hitting his drives in or behind Augusta’s pine bushes, in addition to one on the 14th — a gap he performed over par final yr.
McIlroy stated he felt that the way in which he hit the ball, a good rating for him would have been 2 below, nevertheless it was evident that regardless of hitting wayward photographs, he by no means panicked or tried to do an excessive amount of.
Last yr, his scorching begin was thwarted by double bogeys on Nos. 15 and 17 and resulted in a gap spherical of even par. This yr, it appeared the steering wheel he had gripped so onerous for over a decade was now comfortably in his management.
“There’s still shots out there that you feel a little bit tight with, and you just have to stand up and commit to making a good swing and not worry about really where it goes,” McIlroy stated. “But I think it’s easier for me to make those swings and not worry about where it goes when I know that I can go to the Champions Locker Room and put my green jacket on and have a Coke Zero at the end of the day.”
As if shifting gears inside a automobile, McIlroy confirmed he knew when to be aggressive and when to be cautious. Earlier in the week he talked about that the discomfort he felt final yr taking part in Nos. 7, 14, and 17 off the tee prompted him to go for a extra aggressive method. He hit driver as a substitute of 3-wood on all three holes Thursday and performed them in 1 below.
(*1*) McIlroy stated. “I think those are the expectations I have for myself. And if I can live up to those expectations, then the scores and the results should take care of themselves.”
In some methods, this opening spherical seemed just like the victory stroll McIlroy by no means acquired to have final yr as he rescued victory from the jaws of defeat and needed to win in a tense playoff towards Justin Rose. Flanked by the largest galleries of the day Thursday, who gave him standing ovations on practically each inexperienced, McIlroy tipped his hat and quietly acknowledged the scenes.
More than that, he delivered a spherical that was befitting of his title and one which crops a key storyline for the remainder of the week: Can he be the primary participant since Tiger Woods to win back-to-back inexperienced jackets?
“I said this when I came in on Tuesday,” the five-time main winner stated. “I think winning a Masters makes it easier to win your second one, I do.”
