AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Rory McIlroy began his title defense in the Masters with a tee shot that rolled next to a spectator’s seat. Another one was in the trees. His tee shot on the seventh hole went into the 17th fairway. The prevailing thought was not concern, not the slightest bit of panic.

He’s the Masters champion. That brought a measure of patience and a load of freedom.

“I just trusted that eventually I’ll start to make some good swings. So that was a little different,” McIlroy said after opening with a 5-under 67, his best start at Augusta National in 15 years, to share the lead with Sam Burns.

It seems as though McIlroy has been wearing his Masters green jacket all week — to the weekend activities, to his news conference on Tuesday (Tiger Woods never did that), to the Masters Club dinner that night. And after his opening round?

“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 at the end of the day,” he said.

It wasn’t his best golf, but he got everything out of his round in his bid to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back at Augusta National.

“By the way, Rory may never lose this thing again after last year,” Fred Couples said he told his caddie when he heard another cheer, p