The first round of the Masters is in the books and Rory McIlroy gained steam to win back-to-back Green Jackets.
The defending champion is now the +260 favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook.
McIlroy and Sam Burns share the lead after both firing a 5-under par 66 through the first 18 holes at a firm, fast-playing Augusta National. They hold a two-shot lead over Kurt Kitayama, Jason Day and Patrick Reed, who are tied for third heading into Round 2.
McIlroy arrived at the first tee with 13/1 odds, a far cry from his +650 opening tag ahead of last year’s triumph to complete his career Grand Slam.
The scary part is it wasn’t even his best.
McIlroy’s driving was erratic (only five fairways hit), but he jumped on opportunities when they presented themselves: He capitalized on the par-5 eighth with a birdie, then followed it up at the ninth by spinning a wedge to within a few feet of the hole.
His round truly surged over the closing stretch of Amen Corner, where he drained a lengthy birdie putt at the 13th and picked up two more birdies at the 14th and 15th to tie Burns for the lead.
The Masters has been won back-to-back years only three other times between Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods, who was the last to do it in 2001-02.
Burns had also picked up traction through Amen Corner, where he first broke even to establish the lead. He nailed a 20-foot birdie putt at the par-3 12th and then flushed his 50-yard third shot pin high at the par-5 13th to convert for another birdie.
Updated Masters odds
| Player | Score | Odds |
| Rory McIlroy | -5 | +270 |
| Scottie Scheffler | -2 | +390 |
| Xander Schauffele | -2 | 10/1 |
| Sam Burns | -5 | 12/1 |
| Justin Rose | -2 | 15/1 |
| Patrick Reed | -3 | 16/1 |
Scottie Scheffler, who opened as the tournament favorite for the fourth consecutive year at +550, rose to +350 after carding a 2-under 70 to reach T-6.
The two-time Masters winner was his vintage self through the first two holes with an eagle and a birdie. He recorded all pars throughout the remainder of the round with exception to a bogey on the 11th.
If you bet on LIV Golf stars Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau to miss the cut this year, you’re looking at a potential king’s ransom payout on Friday. Both players, who opened in the market’s top-three outright odds, sit near the projected cutline with Rahm having shot a 6-over 79 and DeChambeau a 4-over 76.
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Rahm struggled out of the gate with multiple bogeys and a costly double bogey on the 13th hole. The Spaniard’s birdie-less round tied his career-worst in a major tournament.
He’s made all nine cuts he’s played at the Masters and won the Green Jacket in 2023.
DeChambeau’s day was just as demoralizing.
The two-time major winner drilled a patron off the sixth tee and struggled to escape the bunker on the 11th hole, resulting in a triple bogey.
DeChambeau has missed the cut twice in nine starts at the Masters. His highest finish was T-5 last year.
Perhaps the cozy, incentive-free life of LIV Golf has dulled their competitive edge on the biggest stage.
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Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.