Back-to-back birdies steady defending Masters champion Rory McIlroy

The Holywood man is up and running. 

Rory McIlroy made an encouraging start in Augusta. Pic: Gerald Herbert/AP

Rory McIlroy’s defence of his Masters title recovered from a sketchy start with back-to-back birdies seeing him turn at two under par, only two shots off the lead set by Patrick Reed and fellow American Sam Burns.

The world number two’s waywardness off the tee meant he was level par through seven holes after a birdie at the long second was swiftly given back by a three-putt at the next.

But a brilliant approach to the long, steeply uphill eighth brought his second birdie of the day and moved him back into red figures.

He hit it even closer at the ninth for birdie to turn in two under.

Reed, the 2018 champion, had recorded his second eagle with a monster putt up the eighth green, having started birdie-eagle, to turn in a five-under 31.

He dropped a shot after flying the green at the 10th, which is where England’s Tommy Fleetwood had his first bogey.

Three birdies in a row from the second represented his best four-hole start to a Masters round and another at the ninth moved him into second place on four under but he came up short of the 10th green and then knocked his chip 12 feet past.

Patrick Reed turned in five-under-par 31. (David J Phillip/AP)

Kurt Kitayama had also been four under through 10 before becoming the first significant victim of Amen Corner, bogeying the 11th before chipping his second at the par-13 next through the green and into Rae’s Creek for a five.

Burns got to four under with a birdie at the 13th for a share of the lead.

Bryson DeChambeau, one of the favourites this week, was level par at the turn after surprisingly bogeying the relatively easy par-five second having been forced to take a penalty drop when he pulled his second left, regaining the shot at the next hole.

Behind them the well-fancied 2023 champion Jon Rahm was just starting his round with world number one Scottie Scheffler, with two green jackets in the last four years, out in the penultimate group at 1.44pm local time (6.44pm Irish time).