The Japan Times - McIlroy's back-nine birdie run grabs share of Masters lead

World number two McIlroy, trying to become only the fourth golfer to win back-to-back Masters titles, curled in a 29-foot birdie putt at the par-five 15th and parred in from there to match Sam Burns atop the leaderboard at Augusta National.

The five-time major champion from Northern Ireland pitched to three feet and tapped in for birdie at the par-five second hole but left a nine-foot par putt hanging on the edge to bogey the third.

McIlroy answered with a tap-in birdie at the eighth after reaching the green in two then made an eight-foot birdie putt at the ninth.

He charged to the top with a 14-foot birdie putt at the par-five 13th, a seven-foot birdie putt at the par-four 14th and his impressive putt at 15.

McIlroy found a fairway bunker off the 18th tee but landed his approach 41 feet from the hole and two-putted.

Not since Jordan Spieth in 2016 has a defending champion led after the opening round of the Masters.

Burns, seeking his first major win, made three birdies in four holes on the back nine.

"I drove it really nice," Burns said. "You can get in some pretty tough spots getting off the fairway. Getting onto the green, I felt like I was able to give myself some opportunities."

Burns was the 54-hole leader in last year's US Open before a closing 78 left him sharing seventh, his best major result.

He made an 11-foot eagle putt at the par-five second, answered a bogey at the par-three sixth with a birdie on the par-five eighth, then added a 20-foot birdie putt at the par-three 12th and an 11-foot birdie putt at 13 before driving the green in two at 15 to set up a four-foot birdie putt.

Americans Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, and Kurt Kitayama joined Australian Jason Day in the clubhouse on 69.

On the course at three-under were England's Justin Rose and four-time major winner Scheffler, seeking a third Masters crown in five seasons.

Scheffler sank an 18-foot eagle putt at the second and drove the green at the par-four third to set up a tap-in birdie.

Rose, who lost Masters playoffs to McIlroy last year and Sergio Garcia in 2017, birdied both front-nine par-fives and the third.

- Eagles lift Reed -

Reed eagled two of the first eight holes, curling in a 56-foot eagle putt at the eighth after a birdie-eagle start with a 27-foot hole out at the second. But he stumbled late with bogeys at 10 and 15.

The 35-year-old American, who jumped from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf in 2022 but did not re-sign with the Saudi-backed series this year, won in Dubai and Qatar and was second in Bahrain in DP World Tour events earlier this year.

Kitayama overcame a double bogey at the par-three 12th with birdies at 13, 15 and 17.

England's Rai birdied three of the first four holes and was one two-under in his bid to become the first Par-Three Contest winner to capture the green jacket in the same year.

World number 10 Xander Schauffele, the 2024 British Open and PGA Championship winner, sent his tee shot at the eighth hole into a spectator's souvenir bag but recovered to par the hole and shoot 70.

Bryson DeChambeau, the 2020 and 2024 US Open champion, suffered a triple bogey at 11 and shot 76.

Y.Watanabe--JT