Rory McIlroy Shoots Even over First 9 Holes Before Round 1 Suspension at Masters

On the hunt to become the sixth golfer to complete the major grand slam, Rory McIlroy faced an opponent he hadn't met before at Augusta, when the first round of his 12th Masters appearance was called early on account of darkness. 

After getting off to a late start as tee times were pushed back due to inclement weather, he will continue Round 1 play tomorrow, joining 44 players who weren't able to complete their first day at Augusta National before darkness rolled in.

The last Masters round that was not completed on the day that it began came in 2006, when Round 3 was suspended in the afternoon because of weather and called as a result of darkness with 36 players on the course.

The 31-year-old got off to a rough start in his attempt to win his first major since 2014, when he claimed both the PGA Championship and The Open title. He bogeyed on the first hole, but he went on to hit par on six consecutive holes. Before the round was called, McIlroy carded an even score on the front nine to rank tied for 50th on the leaderboard.

His round was highlighted by a birdie on the eighth hole that offset an opening bogey. 

McIlroy, who opened as a 12-1 favorite (per DraftKings), ended up teeing off alongside Dustin Johnson and Patrick Cantlay at 2:57 p.m. rather than the trio's scheduled noon start. 

British broadcaster Piers Morgan tweeted his support for the Northern Ireland native early Thursday morning, claiming that McIlroy would "finally win," but it will take some work over the next few days for McIlroy to reach Paul Casey who sits atop the leaderboard at seven under through the first round.

McIlroy will finish Round 1 tomorrow beginning at 7:30 a.m. and tee off for Round 2 after, with an originally scheduled time of 7:55 a.m. beginning on the back nine. 

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