Defending Champion Mcilroy Pleased To Feel 'hand Shaking' On Masters Return

ByMatt Gault

BBC Sport NI elder journalist

Rory McIlroy said he was relieved to "feel my manus shaking" pinch nerves arsenic he carded a five-under 67 to stock nan lead aft nan first information of his Masters defence.

Having completed nan profession Grand Slam pinch triumph astatine Augusta National past year, Northern Ireland's world number 2 said of emotion "free" successful nan build-up to this year's tournament.

But reacquainting himself pinch awesome title unit sharpened his attraction arsenic he deed six birdies and 1 bogey successful his lowest Masters opening information since 2011, to subordinate American Sam Burns astatine nan apical of nan leaderboard.

"We're playing nan first awesome of nan year. It's nan Masters. If I felt perfectly thing connected that first tee, that's not a bully sign," said McIlroy of his early nerves.

"So it was bully to consciousness my manus shaking a small spot erstwhile nan tee went into nan ground, and struggle to put nan shot connected apical of nan tee. So I knew I was emotion it. That's a bully thing. That's why we want to beryllium here. We want to beryllium capable to effort to play our champion play erstwhile we're emotion for illustration that.

"That emotion went away. It's not arsenic if you consciousness for illustration that nan full measurement around, but it was still bully to consciousness that connected nan first tee."

McIlroy said not compounding errors was cardinal to his score-building connected Thursday having birdied each 4 par-fives aft missing nan fairway.

Targeting a accelerated start, he was forced to enactment diligent arsenic he played nan first 7 holes successful level par earlier picking up 5 shots betwixt nan eighth and 15th holes.

While he admitted 2 nether par would person been a "fair score" fixed his errant agelong game, he was buoyed by really he utilized nan acquisition accumulated successful 17 erstwhile Masters starts to station a amended score.

"I couldn't person asked for overmuch more, particularly aft nan measurement I started," nan 36-year-old added, speaking to BBC Sport NI.

"In nan trees connected one, two, five. I'm moreover much pleased playing nan first 7 holes successful moreover par. And past erstwhile I started to plaything it a spot better, I could drawstring immoderate bully holes together and make immoderate birdies.

"But I decidedly relied connected my short crippled and my experience. Hopefully I deed a fewer much fairways [on Friday] and springiness myself a fewer much chances."

McIlroy is aiming to go conscionable nan 4th man aft Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods to triumph back-to-back Masters.

However, he was keen to accent nan request to amended his accuracy disconnected nan tee connected an Augusta layout that is expected to turn progressively tricky arsenic nan week progresses.

"The people is going to beryllium difficult and fiery, nan greens will beryllium patient and fast," added McIlroy, whose 72 successful past year's opening information near him 7 shots adrift of leader Justin Rose.

"I'll person to person my wits astir maine and really deliberation my measurement around. If I find myself successful reliable spots, don't compound nan error, effort to get it up astir nan green, get it up and down and move on."

Three shots adrift of McIlroy is his bully friend and Ryder Cup team-mate Shane Lowry, whose 70 included 4 birdies, a hole-out eagle connected nan par-five 13th, 2 bogeys and a double.

"I sewage disconnected to a awesome commencement and was emotion great; I had a mishap connected nan 4th and thought I did a awesome occupation from kicking on," said nan 39-year-old Irishman, whose champion Masters decorativeness was a necktie for 3rd successful 2022.

"I bogeyed six, par-saved 7 and birdied 8 and 9 which really sewage maine going, truthful I consciousness I plodded my measurement astir nan people nicely."

On his eagle from 99 yards connected 13, Lowry said: "It's been a number I haven't been overly comfortable with. I person worked connected it a batch complete nan past 2 weeks, truthful it was bully to propulsion it off.

"I knew erstwhile it was successful nan aerial it was really bully and it was going to spell close, but it was bully to spot it spell in. It gave maine a small jump for nan remainder of nan round."