Rory McIlroy was blown away by what Scottie Scheffler did during his first round at The Masters on Thursday.
Scheffler’s six under 66 means he’s just one shot back from Bryson DeChambeau, who currently holds the outright lead on seven under.
The 2022 Masters champion carded four birdies on the back nine to surge into contention as many had predicted.
Scheffler’s score certainly caught the eye, and McIlroy quickly praised the American after his first round at Augusta.
Rory McIlroy impressed by one thing ‘phenomenal’ Scottie Scheffler does
McIlroy, who shot a one-under 71 to kickstart the first major of the year, highlighted Scheffler’s ability to avoid bogeys.
“Scottie does such a good job of … it doesn’t look like it’s 6-under par, and then at the end of the day it’s 6-under par. He’s just so efficient with everything,” he explained [quotes via Kyle Porter].
“If you look at Scottie compared to the rest of the field, the amount of bogey-free rounds he plays and he shoots is phenomenal, and that’s the secret to winning major championships and winning big-time golf tournaments is more limiting the mistakes rather than making a ton of birdies.”
Will Rory McIlroy be happy with his first round at Augusta?
Considering the past issues he’s had around Augusta, McIlroy will no doubt be content with how he faired on Thursday.
A bogey on the 17th was a disappointing way to conclude his round, but, on the whole, the Northern Irishman will be happy.
The Masters 2024 leaderboard
| Position | Player | Par | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total |
| 1 | Bryson DeChambeau | -7 | 65 | – | – | – | 65 |
| 2 | Scottie Scheffler | -6 | 66 | – | – | – | 66 |
| 3 | Nicolai Hojgaard | -5 | 56 | – | – | – | 56 |
| 4= | Max Homa | -4 | 48 | – | – | – | 48 |
| 4= | Danny Willett | -4 | 68 | – | – | – | 68 |
| 6= | Cam Davis | -3 | 69 | – | – | – | 69 |
| 6= | Ryan Fox | -3 | 69 | – | – | – | 69 |
| 6= | Tyrrell Hatton | -3 | 53 | – | – | – | 53 |
| 9= | Byeong Hun An | -2 | 70 | – | – | – | 70 |
| 9= | Corey Conners | -2 | 70 | – | – | – | 70 |
| 9= | Tommy Fleetwood | -2 | 38 | – | – | – | 38 |
| 9= | Joaquin Niemann | -2 | 70 | – | – | – | 70 |
| 9= | Matthieu Pavon | -2 | 54 | – | – | – | 54 |
| 9= | Patrick Reed | -2 | 54 | – | – | – | 54 |
| 9= | Will Zalatoris | -2 | 70 | – | – | – | 70 |
McIlroy’s 71 was his best opening round at Augusta in six years as he looks to claim a career grand slam and his first major since 2014. The 34-year-old told Sky Sports: “It’s satisfying in one sense because it is a decent start compared to the way I have played here the previous two or three years, but I felt I could have been two or three shots better today.
“Overall, a solid day’s work, and I’m looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow. Playing besides Scottie [Scheffler], who is obviously one of the leaders, I’ll be able to keep an eye on him and see what he’s doing.”
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