Rory McIlroy makes slow start as Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland & Brooks Koepka lead - Legit Sports

Rory McIlroy makes slow start as Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland & Brooks Koepka lead - Legit Sports

Rory McIlroy makes slow start as Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland & Brooks Koepka lead - Legit Sports

Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and Brooks Koepka shot superb seven-under-par 65s to lead the Masters after day one as Rory McIlroy made another slow start.

The 33-year-old Northern Irishman holed five birdies but they were cancelled out as he carded a level-par 72.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is well placed after a four-under 68, while Tiger Woods limped to a 74.

Stormy weather is forecast for the next two days, raising prospects of a first Monday finish since 1983.

The predicted incoming rain at Augusta has led to Masters organisers bringing Friday's tee-times forward by 30 minutes. The second round will now start at 12:30 BST.

However, the calm conditions on Thursday enabled 16 players to shoot under 70 on a scoreable opening day.

Australian former world number one Jason Day and American Cameron Young are the closest to the three co-leaders after they shot a five-under 67.

Ireland's 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry, American world number seven Xander Schauffele and Australia's 2013 Masters winner Adam Scott are alongside Scheffler, three shots back on a star-studded leaderboard.

American 23-year-old Sam Bennett is also among that group after recording the first bogey-free round by an amateur in 30 years.

Woods, the 15-time major champion, was playing alongside Hovland and Schauffele but could not match their exploits.

The 47-year-old, who won the last of his five Green Jackets in 2019, has said he will never fully recover from the serious car accident where he nearly lost his leg in February 2021 and his physical condition looked awkward on the steep hills of Augusta National.

He looked in pain several times, none more so than when he played his second shot on the 18th. He had his right foot in a fairway bunker and ended up stumbling backwards into the sand after hitting his ball, hopping on his left leg in obvious discomfort.