Summary

  1. Snowman for Cantlaypublished at 22:28 British Summer Time 10 April

    Cantlay +2 (15)

    Patrick CantlayImage source, Getty Images

    We've not mentioned Patrick Cantlay today.

    Well, allow me to welcome the American in our live text in gruesome fashion - he's just gone swimming at the par-five 15th. Twice.

    Finally, he tidies up onto the green with a nicely judged seven iron and careful putt to make his triple bogey.

    But eight shots on the hole makes it a snowman and perhaps the end of Cantlay's challenge this week.

  2. Par for Rose, needs a birdie for course recordpublished at 22:24 British Summer Time 10 April

    Rose -8 (17)

    Justin Rose gets himself into a spot of trouble off the 17th tee, but he plays a brilliant escape from the pine straw down the right, then backs it up with a delicate chip and run to leave just a tap in for par.

    So no 62 for Rose but a three up the last will give him a share of the course record of 63.

  3. Postpublished at 22:20 British Summer Time 10 April

    Fitzpatrick -2 (14)

    Let's not write off Matt Fitzpatrick shall we. He may have split with veteran caddie Billy Foster but he's doing just fine in the first round here, with a birdie on 14 taking him back to two under.

  4. McIlroy moves into tie for secondpublished at 22:17 British Summer Time 10 April

    McIlroy -4, Aberg -2, Bhatia +1 (12)

    Rory McIlroy aims miles out right and tries to feather his eagle putt down the slope but that's never going to turn in, so instead it'll be a birdie putt from three feet.

    Ludvig Aberg and Akshay Bhatia also claim very welcome birdies and are striding off as McIlroy's ball is dropping into the cup for his four.

    The Northern Irishman is now four strokes off the lead and in a tie for second with world number one Scottie Scheffler and Canada's Corey Conners, who are already in the clubhouse.

  5. Postpublished at 22:16 British Summer Time 10 April

    Rahm +4, Clark -+1, Fleetwood +2 (12)

    A settler for Jon Rahm at the 12th after consecutive bogeys. And particularly given he dumped his tee shot in the bunker around the par-three green.

    Tommy Fleetwood makes it six pars in a row and Wyndham Clark matches them.

  6. Postpublished at 22:12 British Summer Time 10 April

    McIlroy -3, Aberg -1, Bhatia +2 (12)

    Rory McIlroy will take that all day long. From almost in the pines on the 13th, he lands his second 20 feet from the pin.

    There's even a slight stroke of good fortune in the process with his ball catching Akshay Bhatia's already stationary ball on the green and slowing up slightly quicker than expected.

    Eagle chance incoming.

  7. Can Rose bag the course record?published at 22:12 British Summer Time 10 April

    Rose -8 (16)

    Justin RoseImage source, Getty Images

    Justin Rose needs to birdie one of the last two holes to equal the course record of 63 held jointly by Nick Price and Greg Norman - or even birdie both of them to become the first man ever to shoot 62 at Augusta National.

    Norman shot just the second ever round of 63 at Augusta in 1996, and despite all the technology advances that modern players enjoy nobody has been able to match that in nearly three decades.

    So while there have been 22 rounds of 63 shot in men's majors since Norman's effort, none of them have come at Augusta.

    The other majors have all given up 62s - Brande Grace got the first at the 2017 Open Championship before Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler bagged two within minutes of each other at the 2023 US Open.

    Schauffele again and Shane Lowry hit 62 at last year's US PGA Championship - but Augusta will just not surrender to these modern big-hitters and all their technology!

  8. Matsuyama & DeChambeau drop backpublished at 22:06 British Summer Time 10 April

    Matsuyama -1, DeChambeau -1, Lowry -1 (12)

    Oh that's horrible for Hideki Matsuyama, who had been cruising along without a bogey but gets the speed of a three-foot putt for par all wrong on the 12th.

    Bryson DeChambeau is also in difficulty after flying over the back of the green into the sand trap.

    His bunker shot comes up well short and he drops back as well with a bogey the best he can do from there.

  9. Another shot goes for Rahmpublished at 22:04 British Summer Time 10 April

    Rahm +4, Clark -+1, Fleetwood +2 ()

    Haven't been watching Jon Rahm down the 11th but I'll have to update you that he's dropped another shot.

    At four under - and 12 behind the leader - he already looks a long way from contention at this year's Masters tournament.

  10. Rose drains another one!published at 22:01 British Summer Time 10 April

    Rose -8 (16)

    These holes at Augusta must seem as big as buckets to Justin Rose now as he rolls in yet another birdie - his eighth of the day - to power into a a four-shot lead at the Masters.

    Media caption,

    Rose extends Masters lead to four with consecutive birdies

  11. Bubba finishes up under parpublished at 21:57 British Summer Time 10 April

    Watson -1 (71)

    Bubba WatsonImage source, Getty Images

    I mentioned Bubba Watson earlier and the two-time champion has helped himself to a tidy final third to his round.

    He's even finished up with an excellent par save at the last to ensure he shoots under par.

    Not a bad day out.

  12. Birdie for Abergpublished at 21:55 British Summer Time 10 April

    McIlroy -3, Aberg -1, Bhatia +2 (12)

    Akshay Bhatia can't get down in two from 55 feet and drops back further. The 23-year-old American has found it tough going at times today.

    Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy tidies up for a solid par as Ludvig Aberg drains his birdie putt from 20 feet. He'll feel much happier about his round if he can break par.

  13. 'I needed to pee' - debutant takes relief in Rae's Creekpublished at 21:53 British Summer Time 10 April

    Ballester +4 (F)

    Jonathan Jurejko
    BBC Sport senior golf reporter

    Jose Luis BallesterImage source, Getty Images

    When making your Masters debut you'd think you'd be on best behaviour. Eyes are everywhere to make sure rules and etiquette aren't broken.

    So I wonder what the Augusta National committee makes of Jose Luis Ballester's admission... he took relief in Rae's Creek.

    No, not golfing relief. Bladder relief at the 13th tee.

    "I completely forgot that we had those restrooms to the left of the tee box," the young Spaniard amateur explained.

    "I really need to pee. I didn't really know where to go, and since Justin Thomas had an issue on the green, I'm like, I'm just going to sneak here in the river.

    "Probably people would not see me that much - and then they clapped for me.

    "Probably one of the claps that I really got today real loud, so that was kind of funny."

  14. DeChambeau saves parpublished at 21:51 British Summer Time 10 April

    Matsuyama -2, DeChambeau -2, Lowry -1 (11)

    Bryson DeChambeau tries to go over the trees to get to the 11th but stays well right and can only chip on to 14 feet.

    He has not looked comfortable over the last few holes but there's a fist pump and huge roar as he drops in that putt to save his par.

  15. Rose goes three in front!published at 21:47 British Summer Time 10 April

    Rose -7 (15)

    Justin RoseImage source, Getty Images

    He missed a great chance earlier, but Justin Rose is not missing this time, as he rolls in a birdie chance from about 10 feet on the 15th to extend his Masters lead to three shots.

    Like a lot of players, Rose was long and wide when going for the green in two. His chip was pretty good but he still had work to do with the putter, and after a shorter miss on 13 the nerves would have been there.

    Not that you'd know it from the way Rose confidently stroked that home.

  16. Postpublished at 21:44 British Summer Time 10 April

    McIlroy -3, Aberg E, Bhatia +1 (11)

    Textbook stuff from Rory McIlroy on the short par-three 12th, as he drops a lovely looking chip shot right into the heart of the putting surface.

    All three players are on the green albeit Ludvig Aberg is probably in closest by the looks of it.

    Akshay Bhatia is way off left, almost playing that as though we've hit Sunday already.

  17. Birdie relief for Xanderpublished at 21:44 British Summer Time 10 April

    Scott +4, Schauffele +2, Hovland +1 (12)

    Xander Schauffele gets a huge break on the 12th as he holes out monster 60 foot putt for a birdie - and he didn't half need that after three straight bogeys.

    The double major winner last year has struggled this year with a rib injury and obviously isn't quite yet as sharp as he would like to be, but he's hanging on in there.

  18. Latest bogey for Rahmpublished at 21:41 British Summer Time 10 April

    Rahm +3, Clark -+1, Fleetwood +2 (10)

    Jon RahmImage source, Getty Images

    As for tolerance, Tyrrell Hatton's LIV Golf team-mate Jon Rahm needs all the patience he can muster as a putt for par slides by the 10th hole.

    He stares at it, puts his hand to the mouth and then ruefully trudges after his putt.

    Pars for playing partners Tommy Fleetwood and Wyndham Clark.

  19. 'Patience depends which side of the bed I got up from'published at 21:39 British Summer Time 10 April

    Hatton -3 (69)

    Tyrrell HattonImage source, Getty Images

    Golf could test the patience of a saint. But Augusta National needs bundles of tolerance.

    Tyrrell Hatton, who is known for having a short fuse, kept his frustrations in check on his way to a three-under 69.

    "I don't know if I've worked on my patience. I think it just depends what side of the bed I get out of, if I have a little bit or none," he says.

    "Obviously today was a good day. Drove the ball pretty well, which in years gone by is something that I've struggled with.

    "Naturally I'm disappointed with making bogey on 17. I don't feel like I did a huge amount wrong there. But you don't really have to do anything wrong to drop shots at this place.

    "I'm a little bit disappointed with that, but happy to shoot another round in the 60s."

  20. Postpublished at 21:37 British Summer Time 10 April

    McIlroy -3, Aberg E, Bhatia +1 (11)

    Rory McIlroy has largely looked in full control of everything he is doing and makes a regulation par on the 11th, with two putts from 38 feet.

    His playing partners Ludvig Aberg and Akshay Bhatia are really struggling to get anything going.