2026 Masters, Round 1 recap: Rory McIlroy shares lead; Scottie Scheffler three back

Day 1 is in the books. Here’s a look at the top 10 (click here for the full leaderboard):

T1. Rory McIlroy: -5 (67)
T1. Sam Burns: -5 (67)
T3: Kurt Kitayama: -3 (69)
T3: Jason Day: -3 (69)
T3. Patrick Reed: -3 (69)
T6. Scottie Scheffler: -2 (70)
T6. Xander Schauffele: -2 (70)
T6. Justin Rose: -2 (70)
T6. Shane Lowry: -2 (70)
T10. Seven others tied at -1 (71)

We are ever-so-close to wrapping up the first round of the 90th Masters.

The two-time Masters champion eagled the par-5 second and birdied the par-4 third to quickly reach 3 under par.

He finished with a 2-under 70.

Scheffler didn’t make a birdie the rest of the way, carding 14 pars and one bogey (No. 11) in the stiffening afternoon conditions.

Gary Woodland yelled, “Fore right!” But his tee shot on the par-4 17th was so far right, it landed in the adjacent 15th fairway.

Woodland played his second shot short of the 17th green, from where he got up and down for par to remain at 1 under.

Four under through 16 holes, Justin Rose closed bogey-bogey to finish three off the pace.

At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, there are just 18 players at 1-under or lower at the Masters.

And five of those are on the course. See: the number could be plummeting.

Augusta has gotten to be a challenge for the afternoon groupings.

Five of the six names atop the leaderboard finished their rounds before 4 in the afternoon local time. Only Justin Rose got off the first tee in the afternoon.

He sits at 3 under through 17.

Maybe gift shopping really is out of control at the Masters.

Xander Schauffele’s tee shot on the par-5 eighth hole Thursday at Augusta National appeared to come to rest in somebody’s merchandise bag, just a few feet to the left of the fairway. Schauffele used a tee to mark the spot, removed the ball and then handed off the bag to a woman in a pink and white outfit.

He was able to play on without penalty and made par.

Masters 2026: Xander Schauffele’s drive lands in a merchandise bag

Xander Schauffele’s tee shot on the par-5 eighth hole Thursday at Augusta National appeared to come to rest in somebody’s merchandise bag.

• Associated Press,

• Associated Press,

“It just flew straight into the bag. It was a great break. That bounce would’ve put me in the pine straw and who knows if I would’ve had a shot to hit up the hill,” Schauffele said after shooting a 2-under 70 in the first round.

“So thanks to the lady on 8,” he said.

Ludvig Åberg has consecutively parred holes twice on Thursday. If that seems mundane consider all the squares and circles on his card.

An up-and-down opening round at Augusta for Åberg started off with three birdies in the first six holes. It went sideways with a double bogey on the par-4 9th hole.

The 2024 Masters runner-up went bogey-bogey to open his second nine before making way for another double on 13.

A great birdie opportunity presented itself on the par-3 16th but Åberg’s putt lipped out before he settled for par.

He sits T-41 with two holes to go.

Collin Morikawa’s legs don’t want to trust that they’re going to hold up his back and the rest of his body.

Morikawa, who’s been injured over the last month, spoke openly to the media at Augusta about what he called the toughest round he’s ever played.

“I’m probably the slowest out there out of this entire field, but I’m just trying to put one foot in front of the other and kind of see how it all plays out,” said Morikawa, who shot a 2-over 74.

Collin Morikawa calls first round since injury, the toughest he’s ever played

Collin Morikawa called Thursday’s opening round at the Masters the toughest he’s ever played.

• Ryan Lavner,

• Ryan Lavner,

Morikawa is making his first start in a month, since he withdrew after just one hole at The Players Championship because of a back issue. The suddenness of that injury – one hard practice swing, then boom! – has shaken him to his core.

If you have 20 seconds you’ll want to spend it watching Corey Conners hole-out for birdie on 14 at Augusta.

His slam-dunk shot is in the running for best of Thursday’s opening round.

The moment came at a pivotal time for Conners, who moved to 2-over par on the tournament.

The 34-year-old Candian four top-10 finishes in his last six Masters appearances

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Kurt Kitayama feels like he possesses a “grind-it-out mentality.”

He needed every bit of that mental fortitude during Thursday’s opening round of the Masters. Kitayama fired a 3-under 69, his second straight round in the 60s at Augusta National after averaging 75.6 in his first five spins around the legendary layout.

Psycho scorecard: Kurt Kitayama made six pars, chipped into Rae’s Creek and still shot in 60s

Kitayama fired a 3-under 69, his second straight round in the 60s at Augusta National after averaging 75.6 in his first five spins around the legendary layout.

• Brentley Romine,

• Brentley Romine,

The ending number didn’t tell the whole story, however, as Kitayama carded just six pars, only two of which came on a second nine that Kitayama played in even par with four birdies. Kitayama birdied Nos. 10, 13, 15 and 17, but also bogeyed Nos. 11 and 14 while posting a double bogey at the par-3 12th.

Anyone getting a sense of déjà vu?

A birdie on the par-5 13th hole has Justin Rose just a shot off the lead at the Masters.

Defending champ Rory McIlroy, who defeated Rose in a playoff last year, sits tied in the clubhouse with Sam Burns at 67.

Rose is a three-time runner-up at Augusta, finishing second in 2015, 2017 and 2025.

Fred Couples was just inside the top 10 at Augusta.

Not anymore.

The 66-year-old 1992 Masters champion was priming to give a fun storyline some juice but the course had other plans.

Couple went into a tailspin at the par-5 15th, finishing with a quadruple bogey 9 and falling from T-8 to T-43 on the leaderboard.

Adam Scott played Amen Corner three-under par, capped off by a beautiful approach shot that led to an eagle putt on No. 13.

It was the fourth eagle recorded on the day at the par-5 hole.

Scott joined Shane Lowry, Nicolai Højgaard and Kristoffer Reitan to finish in three shots.

Age is just a number, watching 66-year-old Fred Couples navigate around Augusta is a nice reminder of that adage.

The oldest player to make the Masters cut, Couples sits T-9 through 13 holes at 2 under par.

Couples, who opened the day with consecutive birdies, has five holes left and sits three shots off co-leaders Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns.

If Couples does hang around to the weekend, it will be the 1992 champion’s 32nd made cut at Augusta.

Rory McIlroy spoke with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt inside Butler Cabin after shooting a 5-under 67 on Thursday.

The reigning Masters champion admitted to still having nerves on the first tee like he always has when playing at Augusta but how his mentality has shifted after finally reaching the career Grand Slam last April as well as putting on his first green jacket.

McIlroy, who went birdie-birdie on the 8th and 9th holes, said a few errant shots on his front nine did not phase him early and that by the time he reached his back there was a notable comfort level.

“The wind isn’t going to be much of a factor this week but the speed of the green is ... they’re getting fast and slippery,” he told Van Pelt. “Not so much fun for the players but it’s great for the people watching it.”

After an emotional win at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, Gary Woodland has birdie putt his way to a tie for third through the first eight holes at Augusta.

Woodland earned the last bid into the field by winning that tournament and ascending to No. 52 on the Official World Golf Ranking.

Woodland is at this year’s 2026 Masters despite an ongoing PTSD battle stemming from September 2023 brain surgery to remove a tumor.

His 33 on the first nine was the best opening round in his Masters career.

Rory McIlroy picked things up at Augusta National on Thursday right where he left off last year when he won the Masters in a Sunday playoff over Justin Rose.

McIlroy’s 2026 title defense began with a 5-under 67 and a share of the clubhouse lead with Sam Burns.

The opening round left McIlroy as just the sixth defending Masters champion to open the week with 67 or better. The first was Cary Middlecoff in 1956 who finished third.

Jordan Spieth was the last, recording a 66 on his way for a T-2 finish in 2016.

On the par-4 18th hole, McIlroy fired off a respectable bunker shot that he cleaned up with a two putt for par.

Players remain on the course so the Masters leaderboard is fluid but his start is among one of the best first rounds for a previous year’s winner.

Jason Day and Patrick Reed are both in the clubhouse at 3 under. Shane Lowry is in at 2 under.

This leaderboard is packed with stars.

McIlroy is tied for the lead with two left to play in his round. He said he plays his best when he’s having fun, and that seems to be the case today as he plays with amateur Mason Howell and Cameron Young.

The defending champ is making major moves on the second nine. McIlroy is one back from the lead after two consecutive birdies at Nos. 13 & 14.

Elsewhere, Ludvig Åberg is 3 under, as is Scottie Scheffler. Both were out in the afternoon wave, so still early. Fred Couples is 2 under as he nears the turn!

Sam Burns has the clubhouse lead after a 5-under 67. Started with an eagle, followed with a bogey and then four birdies, so relatively clean card overall.

Kurt Kitayama is the clubhouse leader for now after a 3-under 69. It was a rollercoaster round for Kitayama, who is making his third Masters start — first since 2024. Eight birdies saved him from his three bogeys and one double.

Shane Lowry is 3 under after hole-out eagle on the par-5 13th!

Matt Fitzpatrick — considered a top contender this week — had two bogeys on the first nine, but he finally started moving toward the red with a birdie on No. 12. He’s now 1 over and has seven holes to take advantage of that shift in momentum.

Round 1 is not going well for Bryson DeChambeau. He made triple bogey at No. 11 after needing three shots to get out of the bunker. He proceeded to miss the green at No. 12 but saved par.

Early birdie-bogey kept Rory McIlroy a bit stagnant through the first seven holes, but he has since birdied Nos. 8 and 9.

While the morning headliners are on the second nine, we’ve got a great slate of afternoon groups teeing off. Times ET.

• 1:08 p.m. - Jon Rahm, Chris Gotterup, Ludvig Åberg
• 1:20 p.m. - Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka
• 1:44 p.m. - Scottie Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre, Gary Woodland

China’s Haotong Li, who finished T-4 at The Open last summer, carded two bogeys to start but closed with a birdie and an eagle to become the first player to enter the clubhouse under par. He sits at 1 under.

Here’s his birdie from No. 13 — a stellar up-and-down from the tributary, including a long, curved putt read perfectly.

It’s Patrick Reed at 5 under through nine to lead early in Round 1. Closest to him is Fleetwood, who is 4 under.

Reed is the second player in Masters history to eagle two of his first nine holes of the tournament.

Coming off his Par 3 Contest ace on Wednesday, the Englishman birdied Nos. 2-4 to grab an early share of the Round 1 lead.

Getty Images

Jose Maria Olazabal, 60, shot 2-under 34 on the first nine. Playing competitor Aldrich Potgieter, 21, shot 44.

Solid par the first for the defending champ.

The 2018 Masters champ starts birdie-eagle to become the first player to reach 3 under par.

Homa eagles the par-5 eighth to move into red numbers. He tied for third two years ago at Augusta National.

Tommy Fleetwood, Akshay Bhatia and Patrick Reed have teed off on the first hole (times ET).

• 10:07 a.m.: Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele
• 10:19 a.m.: Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa, Russell Henley
• 10:31 a.m.: Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young, Mason Howell (a)

Jim Nantz joined the “Live From” set before calling his 41st consecutive Masters Tournament.

Here’s the exchange Thursday morning in the Augusta National Press Building:

Q. Tom, just your thoughts on Brooks Koepka?

TOM WATSON: The Tour made a decision to renege on what they promised when the players left for LIV. They felt that the compensation that he’s paid is good enough.

I thought the LIV players, when they left, they were supposed to be banned for life. If I was commissioner, that’s what I would do. I’d say if you’re finished with your contract with LIV Golf, if you want to play the PGA Tour again, you come back, and you must play the Korn Ferry Tour for a year to qualify for it.

They saw it differently. When the players left, they violated the number one rule that we really had out here, which is to protect the sponsors. Sponsors need players. They need the names to be able to promote their tournaments. If the players play wherever they want to play without a conflicting event rule, where you had to seek the permission of the PGA Tour to play in a tournament opposite of a PGA Tour tournament, the sponsors would be hurt by that. I think we all understood that.

When the players left for LIV, I think it was basically over. They chose to go for the money, which is fine, but to return to the Tour, I thought, was a nonstarter, but apparently it’s not.

Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson, as they do every year after hitting the honorary tee shots, spoke with the media Thursday morning at Augusta National. There was talk about ball rollback, Rory trying to repeat and, of course, Tiger Woods. But this exchange was particularly light-hearted:

Q. In 1998, a year after Tiger set the record here, you almost won this tournament at age 58. Did the fact that you finished ahead of Tiger on the leaderboard that year mean something to you, and if so, why?

JACK NICKLAUS: You say I finished ahead of Tiger on the leaderboard?

Q. Yes, you did.

JACK NICKLAUS: Nice going, Jack.

And the two-time champ (1994, ’99) is the early leader, thanks to birdies on Nos. 2 and 3.

Getty Images

It took almost an hour, but Japan’s Naoyuki Kataoka carded the first circle of this Masters, doing so at the par-5 second.

On the opposite end, we have a couple of doubles, from Aldrich Potgieter (first hole) and Carlos Ortiz (second hole).

The “Live From” crew is on until ESPN coverage begins at 3 p.m. Give them a watch (but don’t leave us).

Haotong Li is the first major leader in 2026. He made par while playing competitor and Masters rookie Johnny Keefer made bogey.

With the honorary starters on deck, take a look inside Tuesday night’s Champions Dinner.

Rory McIlroy’s Masters Champions Dinner: World-class wine, off-the-charts pudding and one of Hogan’s drivers

Thirty-three past Masters champions gathered for Tuesday night’s Champions Dinner hosted by McIlroy.

• Brentley Romine,

• Brentley Romine,

Take a listen:

If you have Masters questions, we’ve got Masters answers.

Masters Tournament 101: History, tradition, records and terminology at Augusta National Golf Club

Take a look at some answers to frequently asked questions of the Masters Tournament and Augusta National.

• Golf Channel Staff,

• Golf Channel Staff,

GolfChannel.com’s Rex Hoggard, Ryan Lavner and Brentley Romine pick their winner, winning score and who’s going to disappoint this week at the Masters.

Masters 2026 Punch Shot: Who wins and who leaves most disappointed?

The GolfChannel.com team is on-site at Augusta National Golf Club and offers up some answers to the pressing questions at the year’s first major.

• Golf Channel Staff,

• Golf Channel Staff,

OK, we won’t continue with the countdown. But here’s a look at Round 1 tee times, featured groups and how to watch.

Masters 2026: Tee times, featured groups, how to watch Round 1

Tee times and featured groups for the opening round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

• Golf Channel Staff,

• Golf Channel Staff,

We’re only 2 hours and 25 minutes from the honorary starters — Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson — on the first tee.