- Debutant Sears shines as US women rally to beat Iceland
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- Japan PM under pressure after debacle election
- Timothee Chalamet crashes his own look-alike contest
- McLaren say Verstappen penalties 'not enough' after 'ridiculous' Mexico move
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- Centre-left opposition leads in Lithuania election
- Sainz wins Mexico Grand Prix as Norris makes most of Verstappen penalty
- Trump leads New York rally as Harris targets grassroots
- Centre-lift opposition leads in Lithuania election
- Injured Springbok Willemse to miss November Tests
- NFL Browns upset Ravens while Tagovailoa loses in comeback
- Yildiz saves Juve in eight-goal thriller at Inter as Napoli pull away
- Bolivia's ex-president blames govt as shots fired at him
- Japan ruling coalition projected to lose majority in election
- Yildiz drags Juve back from brink in eight-goal thriller at Inter
- Ford added to England squad for New Zealand clash
- Faltering Atletico stumble again at Real Betis
- Ohtani to play World Series game three after injury scare - report
- In uncertain US election, two prestige papers refuse to pick sides
- England's Slade eager to face New Zealand after Exeter return
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- Conservatives top Bulgarian elections but fall short of majority
- Liverpool hold Arsenal in Premier League title clash, Man Utd beaten
- Chelsea's Palmer reminds Maresca of Blues favourite Zola
- Bayern thump Bochum to retake Bundesliga top spot
- Salah strikes late as Liverpool snatch draw at title rivals Arsenal
- Georgia opposition calls election results protests as president accuses Russia
- Egypt proposes two-day Gaza truce in hope of full ceasefire
- Ex-president of Bolivia blames government as shots fired at him
- Beaten Man Utd only lacking good fortune, claims Ten Hag
- Postecoglou says Spurs out-battled in Crystal Palace loss
- EU urges Georgia vote probe as ex-president calls for mass protests
- Malinin wins Skate Canada for North American Grand Prix double
- Mpetshi Perricard powers to 'amazing' first ATP 500 title in Basel
- Bayern thump Bochum to retake top spot
- West Ham pile more pressure on Ten Hag, Palmer fires Chelsea to victory
- Balotelli set for Italy return with injury-hit strugglers Genoa
- Japan ruling coalition projected to miss majority in election
- Netanyahu declares Iran strike a success as Israel pounds Lebanon, Gaza
- Draper holds off Khachanov for first ATP 500 title in Vienna
- Left seeks to unseat conservative in Uruguay president vote
- 'Failing' Judge vows to dig Yankees out of World Series hole
- Leon Marchand savours break from post-Olympics glare
- Ex-president of Bolivia says 14 shots fired at his car
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- Steen Olsen wins World Cup opener as Hirscher wows on comeback
- Georgia thrown into political turmoil after disputed vote
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McIlroy sticks to plan in Masters opening round
Rory McIlroy vowed to bring discipline, patience and a "boring" approach to his bid to win the one major that has eluded him so far and largely kept to that plan with a one-under 71 in Thursday's first round of the Masters.
McIlroy would complete a career grand slam with a Masters victory.
"It was OK," McIlroy said. "I held it together well. It was a little scrappy. The conditions are tricky. Hard to fully commit to shots out there at times just because the wind is -- if it's across, it feels down at one point and then into. It's hard to commit to where the wind direction is at times."
There were worrying signs early in McIlroy's round, where on the par-5 second he drove off the tee into the trees and then, after laying up, put his third shot into the crowd behind the green and ended with bogey.
He bounced back with a birdie on the par-4 third but another bogey followed on the par-3 fourth, hinting at perhaps another messy start to a tournament where he has missed the cut in two of the last three editions.
But a birdie at the eighth saw him enter the turn level and birdies on the 12th and 14th promised better only for a bogey on the 17th, after some missed birdie opportunities, left a slightly sour taste.
"I think after the slow start sort of making a few birdies around the turn was good," McIlroy said. "A little wasteful coming in. I had a good chance for birdie on 15 in the middle of the fairway and didn't take that. Missed a shortish one on 16 and then the bogey on 17. Probably turned a 3-under into a 1-under there at the end.
"But overall still not a bad score, and obviously a lot of golf left to play."
McIlroy was grouped with Xander Schauffele and world number one Scottie Scheffler, who shot a six-under 66, to sit just a stroke off leader Bryson DeChambeau after 18 holes.
Scheffler's bogey-free round was exactly the kind of consistent, calm golf that McIlroy is aiming to produce himself in Friday's second round.
"You just focus on your own game (but) it's great to play alongside Scottie, who is the best player in the world right now, and to see how he is getting himself around the golf course," he said.
"If you look at Scottie compared to the rest of the field, the amount of bogey-free rounds he plays and he shoots is phenomenal, and that's the secret to winning major championships and winning big-time golf tournaments is more limiting the mistakes rather than making a ton of birdies.
"I made three bogeys today, which is fine out there in these conditions, but I just need to tidy it up a little bit to try to keep up with him."
L.Mason--AMWN