Rory McIlroy opened his defense of the Masters title with a 5-under 67 at Augusta National, finishing Day One tied atop the leaderboard with Sam Burns. McIlroy, who completed the career Grand Slam last year by beating Justin Rose in a playoff to claim the 2025 green jacket, looked solid in his first round. Justin Rose rallied late and closed the evening tied for third, leaving the tantalizing possibility of a rematch later in the week.
CBS News senior national correspondent Jim Axelrod reported from Augusta that conditions were spectacular — he called them “an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10” — and that the forecast through Sunday looked excellent. Two longtime champions, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, are not playing this year for personal reasons. Axelrod also noted that the Masters frequently isn’t settled until the back nine on Sunday, so early storylines are likely to evolve. Coverage resumes on Paramount+ beginning at noon Eastern and on CBS at 2:00 p.m.