Masters champion Rory McIlroy made his return to competitive golf at the Truist Championship in North Carolina, where he recorded just a single birdie on the final hole. This marks his first appearance since clinching his second consecutive green jacket nearly a month ago.

After a rain delay, McIlroy, who started his round on the 10th tee, described his opening round as somewhat subdued, with opportunities to score proving scarce. His only birdie came on the par-four ninth, helping him finish the day with a score of 70.

“I knew that I made so many pars, but I was thinking I can’t remember the last time I played a round of golf and didn’t have a birdie – I was like ‘just try to make one’,” McIlroy reflected.

Despite the challenges, McIlroy maintained a positive outlook, emphasizing that he felt he was hitting good putts but just needed to improve his reads. He added, “I sort of felt like I got into it by the end of the round.”

In the clubhouse, Matt McCarty emerged as the leader with an impressive score of eight-under 63, followed closely by Sungjae Kim, who had one hole remaining when play was suspended. Other notable players include Sepp Straka and Harry Hall, both at five under, while Tommy Fleetwood and Alex Fitzpatrick are at four under. In contrast, Matt Fitzpatrick had a rough start, finishing with a three-over 74.

Fleetwood commented on the challenging nature of the course, stating, “It is an amazing challenge and I think if you shoot under par around here it is always a good day.”

As the tournament progresses, all eyes remain on McIlroy as he aims to improve his performance over the weekend.