McIlroy: Steady start
That up and down on the last was pretty good and will make my dinner taste better.
Rory McIlroy
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Rory McIlroy is confident of making the cut after he eased his way into Masters life with a level-par 72 on the opening day at Augusta.
The Northern Irishman is the eldest among a trio of teen hopefuls who made their debuts at Augusta on Thursday.
He managed to fire the best opening round in a group which featured Japan's 17-year-old prodigy Ryo Ishikawa and US Amateur champion Danny Lee.
On a day that produced the lowest opening round scores in Masters history, the 19-year-old finished seven strokes behind early leader Chad Campbell.
"I just played myself into the round, strung a few pars together," McIlroy said.
"Par golf in major championships is usually pretty good. Tomorrow if I can go out and shoot something in the 60s I will be there for the weekend.
"I feel I am playing well enough to be there."
Good day
McIlroy opened with six pars before a birdie at the seventh. He gave back the stroke at the par-five eighth and dropped another to begin the back nine.
However, he regrouped to par his way through the notoriously tough Amen Corner - holes 11 through 13 - and also produced a crucial up-and-down at the 18th to save himself from dropping another shot.
"That up and down on the last was pretty good and will make my dinner taste better," he said.
McIlroy, a wire-to-wire winner at February's Dubai Desert Classic, has not ruled out taking home the green jacket just yet.
"I hit a lot of good shots which just missed greens and I was grinding to make pars so 72 in the end is a pretty good day," McIlroy said.
"I haven't shot myself out of it and if I can go out in the morning and shoot something in the 60s I will be right there for the weekend."
