RORY MCILROY SHARES MASTERS LEAD DESPITE "HAND SHAKING" WITH FIRST-TEE NERVES
Rory McIlroy survives a "wild" start to lead the 2026 Masters. See how the defending champ tied Sam Burns at 5-under.
For most people, that kind of anxiety would feel like a medical emergency. But Rory McIlroy knew he was fine.
A lot has shifted for him since he finally won the Masters last year. He’s now part of the exclusive club; only six players in history have completed the career grand slam. At the same time, a few things haven’t changed at all.
He still felt all the familiar first-tee nerves when he started at Augusta National on Thursday. It took him a while to settle. He looked a bit shaky over the first seven holes. But after that, he found his rhythm and played the last eleven holes at five under par. Not only that, but he became just the sixth defending champion in 90 years to tie for the lead after round one.
Did he feel different, teeing off at his first major since becoming a Masters champion, finally breaking through after all the heartbreak? When someone asked, McIlroy shrugged: “I was nervous, I was anxious just like always on that first tee,” he said. “It’s the start of major season, the first of the 16 rounds that matter most in the year. I’m glad I still get the butterflies. I’d actually worry if I didn’t. It means this all still means something.”
Funny enough, after winning the Masters last year, McIlroy admitted that a few tournaments felt strangely dull for him. “At certain events, yeah, it’s felt different,” he said. “But this is the Masters. If I didn’t feel nerves here, that’d be a bad sign.” Even Rafael Nadal followed him for the round, which probably didn’t make it easier. “I liked feeling my hand shake when I put the tee in the ground. That’s why we do this. We want to see if we can play our best when it matters most.”
The round itself? A mixed start. McIlroy made a birdie on the second, then bogeyed the third, kept missing fairways, and really had to scramble. “Honestly, I felt like I squeezed a lot out of my round,” he said. “A bit of a mess early, I was in the trees a bunch. But after the eighth, I started swinging better.” He hit only five fairways all day (and didn’t hit one until hole eight). “Even when I was wild off the tee, I just tried to get myself near the green and rely on my short game. Move on, don’t make a mess.”
His goal was just to start solidly, but he ended up five-under better than he expected. “If I’m honest, I thought two-under was more like it for today,” he said. “But I played smart. Didn’t let any mistakes snowball. That’s the lesson around here, and today I did a good job with it.”
Sam Burns joined McIlroy at the top by eagling No. 2 and adding four birdies with just one bogey. Justin Rose, who beat McIlroy in a playoff last year and fits Augusta’s style so well, posted a three-under 69. That put him a shot ahead of world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who shot 70. Rose has finished second at Augusta three times. He’s always a threat.
YANKEES REMAIN "FIRST IN LINE" IF PITTSBURGH EVER DECIDES TO TRADE PAUL SKENES
Paul Skenes reacts to Konnor Griffin’s $140M deal. Discover why the Yankees are still chasing the Pirates' Cy Young ace.
The New York Yankees tried to land Paul Skenes at last year’s trade deadline, but the Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t even entertain the idea. According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, the Yankees offered up four of their top prospects, but Pittsburgh slammed the door shut.
After that, Skenes just kept climbing. He won the National League Cy Young Award in 2025, striking out 216 hitters over 187.2 innings, keeping his WHIP at 0.95, and posting a 1.97 ERA in 32 starts. Fresh off a Rookie of the Year campaign in 2024, he put together one of the best pitching seasons anyone’s seen lately. Pittsburgh stood its ground, and New York had to move on.
Then on Wednesday, the Pirates threw down a franchise-record contract: nine years, $140 million for 19-year-old shortstop Konnor Griffin. It’s the biggest deal the team’s ever handed out. When reporters asked Skenes about it, his answer prompted people to discuss his own future all over again.
What did Skenes say about the Griffin deal? He kept it simple and positive.
“He’s going to be the face of the Pirates for a long time,” Skenes said.
And here’s the thing: Skenes is the reigning Cy Young winner, a two-time All-Star, probably the best arm in the National League right now. If anyone embodies the Pirates, it’s him. But he didn’t say that. Maybe it was just being a great teammate, maybe there was something more to it, but people noticed.
Skenes becomes arbitration-eligible in 2027, and he’s under team control until the end of the 2029 season. He’ll hit free agency just before 2030.
Pittsburgh made its feelings clear with Griffin’s $140 million deal. Now everyone’s watching to see what they’ll put on the table for their ace.
Paul Skenes’ reaction to Griffin’s extension, calling him “the face of the Pirates”, only added fuel to the speculation.
Why are the Yankees still paying attention? They’ve liked Skenes for a while, and that’s not changing. They tried to get him last deadline and struck out. Heyman says if the Pirates ever budge, New York will be first in line. Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay gets why Skenes is appealing, but he’s sceptical a trade will happen soon. Skenes is under team control for four more years. Pittsburgh doesn’t have any incentive to make a deal right now.
And then there’s the money side of things. Skenes made $1.085 million this year, still in the pre-arbitration stage. Meanwhile, Griffin just locked in $140 million. The Pirates front office keeps saying they want Skenes for the long haul. General manager Ben Cherington even called him a player they’d love to keep as long as possible. But Pittsburgh hasn’t always managed to hang onto its stars once the price tag soars.
Every dominant outing from Skenes makes that next contract more expensive. Every year without an extension shrinks Pittsburgh’s window.
At the end of the day, maybe Skenes was being supportive when he called Griffin “the face of the Pirates.” He was happy for a young teammate in his big moment. It sounded simple enough. But in Pittsburgh, where so many top players have left before, his words hit differently, even if he didn’t mean anything by them. The Yankees aren’t backing off. They’ll be ready to try again.
Time’s moving fast in Pittsburgh. You can bet New York is listening.
RORY MCILROY ADMITS TO "ICY" RELATIONSHIP WITH BRYSON IN NEW AMAZON PRIME DOCUMENTARY
Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau reignite their rivalry at the 2026 Masters. Discover the Amazon documentary secrets.
Rory McIlroy did everything he could to tune Bryson DeChambeau out during his epic final round at the 2025 Masters. But honestly, it just didn’t work. Even now, it seems like DeChambeau still lives rent-free in McIlroy’s head.
Amazon Prime just dropped a documentary meant to celebrate McIlroy finally pulling off that career grand slam. You get some new stories from Rory and his parents about that wild, pressure-packed afternoon at Augusta and how he survived 11 years of frustration to make it over the line.
But for all the talk about him conquering his demons and the moment finally coming good, you can’t escape the not-so-subtle message: Rory beat Bryson that day.
As we look ahead to the 2026 Masters, which starts Thursday, DeChambeau isn’t exactly backing down. In fact, he sounds ready to flip the script.
“I love having a rivalry. I don’t see the problem,” DeChambeau said on Tuesday. “It’s great for the game. Do I respect Rory? One hundred per cent. Do I want to beat him? Absolutely, every time. That’s what makes golf so great, right? Some real sportsmanship, but I still want to absolutely destroy him out there.
“It’s like, I got him at Pinehurst, he got me at Augusta, and if more of those battles happen, awesome, it’s what golf needs.”
With no Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson at Augusta for the first time since '94, people are looking for the next big rivalry. And if you ask around, this one just might define the era.
They’ve always been on opposite sides: Bryson, the face of LIV Golf; Rory, the PGA Tour’s flag-bearer. Think back to the 2024 US Open, McIlroy stumbled, and DeChambeau pounced, winning from the group behind. Even though Rory put out a classy statement afterwards, calling Bryson “exactly what pro golf needs right now,” things still got tense. Later, DeChambeau blamed Rory’s loss on Rory himself. You could tell that didn’t sit right.
Rory’s not a fan of the YouTube golf circus, which DeChambeau rules, and Bryson’s online stardom is a whole different vibe. Their rivalry runs through everything, including that Masters showdown when DeChambeau blocked McIlroy’s path to a green jacket again; everybody held their breath to see if Rory would crumble.
The day felt like an emotional minefield. Two early mistakes wiped out Rory’s cushion, and Bryson surged ahead. But when they hit the back nine, Rory managed not just to recover but actually extend his lead. The duel everyone expected kind of fizzled, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t intense.
In the documentary, Rory admits it straight: Playing next to Bryson, who brings a whole circus with him, was the toughest thing he faced. He tried hard to shut Bryson out, though the American definitely noticed and brought it up himself later.
The truth is, Rory might have acted distant, but he watched every move. The most revealing moment comes when he talks about their exchange on the ninth green. They bickered over who should putt first, each using a bit of gamesmanship to turn up the pressure. Bryson suggested flipping a tee; Rory shot it down, insisting this wasn’t some Tuesday game you need to stand your ground at the Masters.
Rory called over the official to measure, but Bryson let him go first. Rory was proud that he didn’t back down. He’s never hidden how icy he acted toward Bryson. When asked about the “silent treatment,” Rory didn’t mince words: “We’re trying to win the Masters. I’m not out here to be his best friend.”
Nobody’s going to forget who won Augusta last year. But it’s almost as if Rory wants to make extra sure nobody forgets who lost, either.
With DeChambeau in top form heading into Rory’s defence, you can feel that this rivalry isn’t cooling off. If anything, it’s just about to catch fire all over again.
