The 2026 Masters is underway at Augusta National and it’s time to settle in and enjoy every second of the best four days in golf.
The first round wrapped up Thursday with the tournament’s reigning champion, Rory McIlroy, enjoying a confident start to his title defense. McIlroy finished with a score of 67 and is tied for first with Sam Burns at the top of the leaderboard. As for a few other big names, Scottie Scheffler, who won the Masters in 2022 and ‘24, impressed early but lost some steam and finished -2, just three shots off the lead. Bryson DeChambeau, who’s still looking for his first green jacket, struggled and carded a 4-over 76.
Catch up on all of Thursday’s first-round action in Sports Illustrated’s live blog below.
More Masters from Sports Illustrated
- Bryson DeChambeau Brought a 3D-Printed Club to the Masters. Things Could Be Going Better.
- This Masters Will Be Won By a Past Champion
- Jordan Spieth Was Unbothered By an Unexpected Distraction
- Scottie Scheffler, Despite Layoff, Lurking After Day 1 of Masters
- Good, Bad and Ugly Masters Round 1: A Disastrous Day for LIV Golf
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2026 Masters Leaderboard: Rory McIlroy Tied for the Lead, Scottie Scheffler Chasing After Tight First Round.
