Masters facts and figures from the opening round
A patrons watches during a practice round ahead of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. Credit: AP/David J. Phillip
AUGUSTA, Ga. — A brief look at Thursday's opening round at the Masters (all times EDT):
LEADING: Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns at 5-under 67.
CHASING: Patrick Reed, Jason Day and Kurt Kitayama were at 68.
FADING: Jon Rahm shot a 78, his highest score at the Masters.
SHOT OF THE DAY: Shane Lowry holed a wedge for eagle on the par-5 13th.
BEST DEBUT: Jacob Bridgeman holed a chip on the 18th for birdie and a 71, making him the only player among 22 newcomers to the Masters to break par.
WILD RIDE: McIlroy hit only five fairways. In the last 10 years, only Hideki Matsuyama in 2021 hit five fairways and still shot 67.
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, watches on the second hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. Credit: AP/Gerald Herbert
QUAD CITY: The 15th hole yielded three quadruple-bogey 9s and four double bogeys. It was the only par 5 to play over par.
KEY STATISTIC: McIlroy is the sixth defending champion to have at least a share of the 18-hole lead. Of the previous five players, only Jack Nicklaus in 1966 went on to win.
NOTEWORTHY: None of the 10 players from LIV Golf broke par. Sergio Garcia had the best score at even-par 72.
QUOTEWORTHY: “You might get a yellow jacket if you win.” — Justin Rose, referring to the yellow sheen on the greens with a dry, sunny forecast the rest of the week.
TELEVISION: Friday, 1-3 p.m. (Prime Video), 3-7:30 p.m. (ESPN).
ONLINE: https://masters.com/index.html
More golf news
