The opening round of the 2026 Masters is under way at Augusta National, with Rory McIlroy beginning the defence of his title on a day shaped by early drama and the familiar demands of one of golf’s most exacting courses.
As the first-round action unfolded, attention also turned to Carlos Ortiz, who endured a difficult start to his latest Masters appearance. The 34-year-old Mexican is making only his second start in the tournament and his first since 2021. His record suggests major-championship ability — he tied for fourth at last year’s US Open at Oakmont — but Augusta National quickly proved punishing.
Ortiz’s round began badly when he drove into the creek down the left of the second hole. Later, he fluffed a splash out of a fairway bunker at the fifth. By that point, he had gone through an opening stretch of 5-7-5-4-6, a sequence that left him with three bogeys and two doubles. At seven over par through five holes, he was already facing a steep climb, and a par at the sixth did little to change the mood around his round.
That kind of early collapse is part of what makes Augusta such a relentless test. The course can expose even experienced major performers, and Ortiz’s opening holes served as another reminder of how quickly the Masters can turn on a player.
The day also carried a notable historical marker: it is the 30th anniversary of Greg Norman’s famous Masters collapse. For followers of the tournament, the anniversary adds another layer of perspective to a week that so often blends live competition with memories of past Masters drama.
With the leaderboard still taking shape and the first round continuing, the focus remains on how the field handles Augusta National’s demanding opening test. McIlroy’s title defence adds one of the week’s main storylines, while players such as Ortiz are already confronting the margin for error that defines the Masters.
More updates are expected as the round develops and the leaderboard begins to settle into focus.
