The first round of the 2026 Masters began at Augusta National with the usual mix of expectation, tension and early drama. Rory McIlroy started his title defence as the tournament got under way, while the first groups around the course quickly discovered that Augusta can punish even the smallest error.
Among the early stories of the day was a difficult opening stretch for Carlos Ortiz. The 34-year-old Mexican is making only his second Masters appearance, and his first since 2021. Ortiz arrived with strong major-championship credentials after tying for fourth at last year’s US Open at Oakmont, but Augusta National offered little mercy on day one.
His round quickly unravelled. A drive found the creek down the left side of the second hole, and a fluffed splash shot from a fairway bunker at the fifth added to the damage. Through his first five holes, Ortiz posted a run of 5-7-5-4-6, leaving him at seven over par and already looking at a steep climb just to recover before the round was over. A par at the sixth would end the immediate sequence of mistakes, but it did little to change the shape of a harsh start.
That sort of early trouble is familiar at Augusta, where the margin for error is small and the score can move quickly in the wrong direction. The first round often sets the tone for the week, and for players who miss fairways, fall short with approach shots or fail to escape trouble cleanly, the course can become a relentless test.
The day also carried a moment of reflection away from the live leaderboard. It marked the 30th anniversary of a memorable Masters moment involving Greg Norman, a reminder of how much history is woven into the tournament’s annual return to Augusta National.
As the opening round unfolded, the focus remained on the live action across the course and the early shape of the leaderboard. The Masters is always as much about patience as shotmaking, and the first day again showed how quickly fortunes can shift. For some players, the challenge was to make a fast start and build momentum. For others, including Ortiz, the task was simply to stop the bleeding and keep the round from slipping further away.
With Rory McIlroy beginning his latest Masters campaign as defending champion, and with the first signs of pressure already visible elsewhere in the field, day one delivered exactly what Augusta so often does: an early reminder that nothing is guaranteed once the tournament begins.
Follow the official leaderboard for live updates as the first round continues.
