Jason Day in the mix as Bryson DeChambeau needs three shots to get out of bunker in first round Masters meltdown

The ghosts of Masters meltdowns past might have haunted Bryson DeChambeau as his hopes of a green jacket exploded in a cloud of sand – three of them in fact – during the opening round.

The 2024 US Open winner needed three shots to get out of a greenside bunker at the par-4 11th. He carded a triple-bogey seven on his way to signing for a four-over 76.

It was the same hole that all but ended his hopes of winning last year's tournament, when he dunked his second shot into the water and made double bogey.

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The worst opening round by an eventual champion was 75 by Craig Stadler in 1982.

DeChambeau has worked hard in the past several years to rebuild his image. Once the golf brat, the LIV star has become a fan favourite at the majors - the only time he gets to play alongside the PGA Tour regulars.

But after his first round at Augusta, gone were the long, light-hearted answers he's been giving after interviews, replaced with short, terse answers.

DeChambeau said he "hit a good shot" but the ball flew about 10m further than he wanted it to, before it took two bounces and finished in the sand.

And his explanation for why it took him three to get out?

"Bunker was softer than I anticipated," he said flatly.

At the top of the leaderboard, Rory McIlroy's defence got off to the perfect start, signing for a five-under 67 to share the lead with American Sam Burns. Jason Day is the best of the Aussies in a tie for third two shots off the lead.

McIlroy hit only five fairways but still managed to settle into his round when he blistered a 3-wood out of the rough, over the hill and onto the green at the par-5 eighth. That set up the first of five birdies in an eight-hole stretch on a day he got nearly everything he could out of his round.

Only one other player in the last 10 years – Hideki Matsuyama in 2021 – shot 67 while hitting only five fairways. McIlroy wasn't the least bit bothered. There was a freedom in his swing, and nothing is more freeing than finally having a Masters green jacket.

"I think winning a Masters makes it easier to win your second one. I do," McIlroy said.

"It's hard to say because there's still shots out there that you feel a little bit tight with, and you just have to stand up and commit to making a good swing and not worry about really where it goes.

"But I think it's easier for me to make those swings and not worry about where it goes when I know that I can go to the Champions Locker Room and put my green jacket on at the end of the day."

Day started the day with back-to-back pars, before a bogey on the third. It would be the only blemish on an otherwise clean card - he got the shot back with a bird on the par-5 eighth and made the turn even, before three more birdies at the 12th, 13th and 16th.

Englishman Justin Rose, who McIlroy defeated in the playoff last year, looked on to also have at least a share of the lead after the first round for the fifth time in his career. He was four-under, a shot behind McIlroy, as he walked off the 16th green, but made back-to-back bogeys.

Elsewhere, Xander Schauffele got a lucky break when a tee shot that would otherwise have ended up in the pine straw ended up in a fan's merchandise bag just off the fairway.

Under the rules, he was allowed to remove the ball, place it as close to underneath where it was located as he could, all without penalty. He made par.

"It just flew straight into the bag. It was a great break ... so thanks to the lady on eight," he said after the round.

Adam Scott is also in the mix. He fought back from a two-over front night to sign for an even-72, and it could have been better if not for frustrating bogeys from good position on the 15th and 18th holes.

Cameron Smith is at two over, while Min Woo Lee struggled to end the day six-over. He, too, started the day with a bogey on the first, followed by two more on the sixth, seventh and 10th. A good birdie on the 12th gave him a platform to launch a fightback, but he gave the shot straight back with interest with a double bogey on the 13th.

- with AP

The Masters first round leaderboard