Rory McIlroy fired off a 1-under 71 Thursday at Augusta National for Round 1 of The Masters.
It was an up-and-down day for the 4-time major winner as he collected three bogeys and four birdies.
However, it felt like McIlroy left some strokes on the course.
“It was a little scrappy,” McIlroy said. “Hard to fully commit to shots out there at times just because the wind is — if it’s across, it feels down at one point and then into. It’s hard to commit to where the wind direction is at times. After the slow start, making a few birdies around the turn was good — a little wasteful coming in.”
He detailed why it felt that way coming down the stretch.
“I had a good chance for birdie on 15 in the middle of the fairway and didn’t take that,” he said. “Missed a shortish one on 16 and then the bogey on 17. Probably turned a 3-under into a 1-under there at the end.”
In these conditions, a 71 is a score many players would likely take. While some guys have gone low, McIlory kept himself in the hunt throughout the day.
He got a few lucky breaks on the front nine to save par — which is appreciated during major championships.
“That was nice. It sort of happened on seven, as well. It hit the tree, and I got a favorable bounce,” McIlroy explained. “You sort of need to ride your luck a little bit here and there, but hopefully, I don’t need to get any lucky bounces from here on out, and hopefully, I can just keep hitting fairways.”
The wind was brutal for players in the afternoon wave, making par a good score.
McIlroy’s 1-under score puts him six shots off first-round leader Bryson DeChambeau. Thursdays at Augusta National are usually make or break for McIlroy. However, his 71 was the lowest Round 1 score since he shot a 69 in 2018.
Depending on how much of Round 1 is left on Friday morning will dictate when McIlroy and his group tee off. He is playing alongside World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele. Initially, they were slated for 1:48 p.m. ET, but it’ll likely be later in the afternoon.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
