Grand Slam quest: Rory McIlroy staying positive, in contention at Masters after first-round 71
Rory McIlroy caught a break when his tee shot hit a tree on the ninth hole at Augusta National and kicked out into the middle of fairway, giving him a workable second shot
By STEVE REED
Published - Apr 11, 2024, 08:11 PM ET
Last Updated - Apr 11, 2024, 08:11 PM EDT
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Sometimes you need to catch a break or two to win a major.
Rory McIlroy got one on Thursday when his tee shot hit a tree on the ninth hole at Augusta National and kicked out into the middle of fairway, giving him a workable second shot. McIlroy saved par and used that momentum to shoot 71, his first sub-par opening round at the Masters since 2018.
All of which came as a surprise to the world’s No. 2 player.
“Is it? That’s sort of embarrassing if it is,” McIlroy said. “I kept it together today. I stuck to my game plan. Didn’t birdie two of the par 5s on the back, which was a little disappointing. But getting in in red numbers was decent.”
