The first round of The Masters 2026 has begun at Augusta National, with Rory McIlroy opening his title defence on day one of the tournament.
The latest live updates from Augusta have focused not only on the leading names but also on some of the early struggles that can quickly shape a Masters round. One of the starkest examples came from Carlos Ortiz, whose opening holes left him with a long climb back into contention.
Ortiz, the 34-year-old Mexican, is making only his second Masters appearance and his first since 2021. His track record in major championships suggests he has the game to compete at the highest level, with a tie for fourth at last year’s US Open at Oakmont standing out as a reminder of his ability. But Augusta National is a different challenge, and it has already made life extremely difficult for him.
His round began badly and did not improve. He drove into the creek down the left at the second hole, then later fluffed a splash out of a fairway bunker at the fifth. By that stage, he had already run through a damaging sequence of scores: 5-7-5-4-6.
That left Ortiz at seven over par through five holes, a position that would have been discouraging for any player in the field. The run included three bogeys and two doubles, a start that effectively put his round on the defensive from the outset. Even a par at the sixth hole offered little immediate comfort after such a difficult opening stretch.
Augusta National is known for punishing small mistakes, and Ortiz’s early problems served as another reminder of how quickly a promising round can unravel during Masters week. The course does not allow much room for error, especially when players find themselves out of position early. For Ortiz, the task now was not just to recover shots, but to settle the round and avoid further damage.
Alongside the live golf action, the coverage also marked the 30th anniversary of an earlier Masters moment referenced in the feed, a reminder of the tournament’s long history and the stories that continue to echo around Augusta.
With the opening round still in progress, the focus remained on how the leaderboard would take shape and whether McIlroy could make a steady start to his bid for another Green Jacket. As always at Augusta, one round can still change quickly, but the early signs suggested a demanding day for several players.
More updates from the first round at Augusta National are expected as play continues.
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