Rory McIlroy reveals personal problem after enjoying strong start to Masters

Jack Otway
Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:02:54 +0000

Rory McIlroy stormed to the summit of the leaderboard on Thursday's opening day at Augusta National, carding a five-under-par 67 to lead the field at the Masters.

The Northern Irishman is bidding to retain the green jacket he claimed 12 months ago following a dramatic sudden-death playoff victory over Justin Rose.

McIlroy's commanding position makes him just the seventh defending champion in Masters history to hold the lead after the first round.

Despite battling familiar nerves at the start of his round, the four-time major winner produced a composed performance to establish himself as the man to catch heading into Friday's second round.

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McIlroy revealed that his right hand was trembling as he prepared to strike his first shot of the tournament, according to ESPN's Paolo Uggetti.

The 36-year-old embraced rather than fought against those familiar feelings of apprehension.

"I was anxious just like I always am. I'm thankful that I felt the same. I think it would be worrisome if I didn't feel that way because it definitely still means something to me," McIlroy said.

He added: "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 acknowledged that his ball-striking was poor during the opening seven holes, a situation that might previously have caused him to become cautious and overly careful with his shots.

"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 said.

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However, the defending champion adopted a different mentality this time around, maintaining faith that his form would return.

"I kept swinging, just trusting that I'm going to find it eventually. So maybe that was a little bit different," he explained.

That patience paid dividends as McIlroy found his rhythm through the middle portion of his round, committing fully to his shots rather than steering the ball.

The statistics suggest McIlroy faces a considerable challenge in his pursuit of consecutive titles.

Of the six previous defending champions who led after round one, only Jack Nicklaus in 1966 went on to claim victory that week.

Furthermore, no golfer has secured back-to-back Masters triumphs since Tiger Woods achieved the feat in 2001 and 2002.

Yet McIlroy remains undaunted by the historical precedent, expressing belief that his breakthrough last year has fundamentally altered his relationship with Augusta.

"I said this when I came in on Tuesday," McIlroy said. "I think winning a Masters makes it easier to win your second one, I do."

The defending champion described feeling looser and free from the psychological burden that previously haunted him at the tournament.