Sam Burns and Rory McIlroy lead after first round of the 2026 Masters

Rory McIlroy (TourProGolfClubs, Wikimedia Commons)

The first round of the 2026 Masters is now complete and there is a two-way tie for the lead. The two golfers in first place at -5 are Sam Burns of Shreveport, Louisiana and Rory McIlroy of Holywood, Northern Ireland. McIlroy is a five-time major champion who won the 2011 United States Open, the 2012 and 2014 PGA Championship, the 2014 British Open and 2025 Masters. 

McIlroy had six birdies and one bogey. He birdied the second, eighth, ninth, 13th, 14th and 15th holes, and bogeyed the third hole. Burns had four birdies, one eagle and one bogey. Burns eagled the second hole, birdied the eighth, 12th, 13th, and 15th holes, and bogeyed the sixth hole. On the second hole, Burns had a tee shot that went 392 yards, an approach shot that went 209 yards, and an eagle putt that went 11 feet.

Seven other golfers are in contention and in striking distance of the lead. There is a three-way tie for third place at -3. Those two strokes back are American Kurt Kitayama of Chico California, 2015 PGA Championship winner Jason Day of Beaudesert, Australia and 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed of San Antonio, Texas.

There is a four-way tie for sixth place at -2. Those three strokes back are four-time major champion Scottie Scheffler of Ridgewood, New Jersey, the 2013 United States Open champion Justin Rose of England, 2019 British Open champion Shane Lowry of Ireland, and two-time major champion Xander Schauffele of San Diego, California. Scheffler won the 2022 and 2024 Masters, 2025 PGA Championship and 2025 British Open. Schauffele won the 2024 PGA Championship and 2024 British Open.

There were two other notable storylines from the tournament. The first was the spectacular weather that allowed 16 players to shoot in red numbers. The second was the difficulty the 15th hole presented. Fred Couples, and one of our best bets, Robert McIntyre of Scotland, had scores of quadruple bogey (yes folks, a scored of nine)!