Rory McIlroy's quest for a second green jacket began with a surprisingly honest admission. The defending Masters champion confessed to feeling the pressure at Augusta.

The fact that he was the defending champion did weigh on McIlroy as he stepped onto the greens. However, he welcomed that feeling.

"It was nice to feel my hand shaking a little bit when the tee went into the ground and struggle to put the ball on top of the tee," Rory McIlroy said during the presser on Thursday.

The champion's round got off to a shaky start, as he constantly struggled with getting the ball out of the trees throughout his first seven holes.

The defending champion had to rely solely on his short game and experience until he found the groove. "That feeling went away. It's not as if you feel like that the whole way around, but it was still nice to feel that on the 1st tee," he added.

McIlroy eventually carded six birdies and just one bogey in the opening round and remained tied for first spot, alongside Sam Burns.

Rory McIlroy is chasing a Historic Title Defense

This season, McIlroy strives to create history as he aims to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back Green Jackets. McIlroy thinks that having won the first title makes the second much less mentally taxing.

"I think it's easier for me to make those swings and not worry about where it goes when I know that I can go to the Champions Locker Room and put my green jacket on," said Rory McIlroy.

The Irishman also explained that he loved hosting the Champions Dinner on Tuesday. "I really tried to embrace and enjoy every part of it," he said, and expressed his desire to host more.

For the next round, he plans to focus on hitting more fairways, considering the increased speed. Rory McIlroy continues to be dedicated to his mini-goals of making smart choices and avoiding compounding errors.

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Written by

Abhishek Sharma

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi