AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 9 (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy got his Masters title defence under way with an opening par on Thursday at a breezy and sunny Augusta National where twice championand world number one Scottie Scheffler was hours away from teeing off in the year's first major.
World number two McIlroy, aiming to become the fourth man to retain the Masters title and first since Tiger Woods in 2001-02, pulled his tee shot left of the fairway, missed the green with his approach, chipped to five feet and rolled in his par putt.
The Northern Irishman arrived this week without carrying the burden of having never won a Masters after he beat Justin Rose in a playoff last year to become the sixth man to complete the career Grand Slam of golf's four majors.
Twice U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, one of 10 LIV Golf players in the 91-man starting field and who briefly held the lead in the final round last year, is playing two groups ahead of McIlroy and was one over through two holes.
World number one Scheffler, looking to hold three majors at the same time after winning the PGA Championship and British Open, tees off in the penultimate group at 1:44 p.m. ET with Scot Robert MacIntyre and 2019 U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland.
Twice champion Jose Maria Olazabal, playing in his 37th Masters, rolled back the years as the Spaniard birdied two of his first three holes and reached the turn one shot behind Patrick Reed, who took the early lead with a birdie-eagle start.
Olazabal is the fourth player, and first since Germany's Bernhard Langer in 2020, aged 60 or older to shoot two-under or better over his first nine holes of a Masters.
Notably absent from this year's Masters are former champions and fan favourites Woods and Phil Mickelson.
Woods, 50, is on an indefinite break from golf while seeking treatment following a recent car crash while Mickelson, 55, cited a family health matter for his decision to withdraw.
Honorary starters Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson led off one of the most anticipated days in golf in front of a large crowd of patrons gathered around the first hole as the sun rose above Augusta National.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Augusta, Georgia; Editing by Ken Ferris)
