AUGUSTA, Ga. – The speed of the greens at Augusta National have flummoxed many a player in Masters history. Just not usually in the way they got to Rory McIlroy on Thursday.
McIlroy entered the 83rd Masters Tournament as a clear favorite, having cracked the top 10 in each of his first seven starts this year including a win at TPC Sawgrass. But his chase for the final leg of the career Grand Slam got off to a bumpy start as the Ulsterman struggled with consistency, cancelling five birdies with six bogeys to card a 1-over 73.