Bubba from range for birdie on five. White trousers legs together, deft backswing. Turny bendy, coming towards the hole. Enough? Not quite, but good effort. Take par and move to six.

Tomas Bjorn, what an absolute belter. The big Dane, in the penultimate group, had been playing par golf up to the sixth. Par-three, long putt left to right for birdie. Turning, turning, dropping? In she goes! Bjorn to four under, three off Bubba.

Image source, Getty Images

Lee Westwood is saying prayers on Amen Corner, finding the green from the tee on the devilishly difficult 12th. Bubba Watson has acres of space on the fifth fairway, drawing polite applause as he finds the centre of the pale green putting surface. It'll be lengthy for birdie.

-7 B Watson (US) after 4; -4 Blixt (Swe) 5, Spieth (US) 6; -3 Jimenez (Spa), Fowler (US), Kuchar (US) 10, K Stadler (US) 9, Furyk (US) 7, Bjorn (Den) 5, Senden (US) 4.

Selected others: -2: Rose (Eng) 15; -1 Westwood (Eng) 8; E Poulter (Eng); +1 Gallacher (Sco) 8, Scott (Aus) 6; +2 Donaldson (Wal) 9; +3 McIlroy (NI); +5 Clarke (NI); +8 Lyle (Sco).

Simon Mellor:, external ‏When do the long handle putters become banned in the majors?

John Maclagan:, external When will Adam Scott have to stop using his belly putter?

Sean M:, external Surely Adam Scott's putter while within the rules is hardly within the spirit of the game? Not just the handle but the head as well

No sooner do we ponder the nine men on three under do a couple poke their heads up. Birdies for Jordan Spieth and Jonas Blixt, at the sixth and fifth respectively, see them cut Watson's lead to three. Do tell me if this is going too quickly for you...

Par four, 455 yards

Accuracy or a carry of 315 yards off the tee is needed to avoid two bunkers left of the fairway. Undulations make it difficult to get the second shot close to the pin on a green that is guarded by mounds at the front. Jack Nicklaus holed out from the fairway here for eagles in the first and third rounds in 1995.

2013 average: 4.23 Rank: 5

Image source, Getty Images

There are nine men tied for second on three under, four behind Bubba Watson. One of them is John Senden, who holes a tester for par on four. The last pair on heading for the fifth.

Peter Alliss
BBC Sport commentator

(reacting to Bubba Watson's missed par-putt at the 4th) "He was afraid of it. He was nervous. Shot dropped."

Bubba's mixed start continues with a shot dropped on the fourth. It's lightning fast, and the big man is a little tentative. It never looks like dropping and he has to take a bogey. With bogey, eagle, par, bogey, Bubba is back where he started at seven under. Rickie Fowler finishes with a 67 to share the clubhouse lead on three under.

Oh Justin Rose, what a gain. After that science-defying ball-stop on the slope next to the 15th green, the man from Hampshire sinks another monster to earn a birdie and move two under. Meanwhile, Bubba's chip at the fourth has flown past the pin to leave a knee-knocker the other way for par.

ESPN statistician Justin Ray, external ‏points out that Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez has tied the Masters record score for a round (66) for any player 50 or older - the previous two players to achieve this are Ben Hogan and Fred Couples.

Now. Own up. Are you one of the people that shouts "gettinthehole!" when a player winds up off the tee? If so, I'm afraid we simply can't be friends. Holler from some fool as Watson gives it the beans on four. Just short of the green, on the fringe, but there are many worse places he could be.

Par three, 240 yards

The longest par three on the course can be made more difficult by some deceptive winds. The green slopes back-to-front, and is protected by two deep bunkers.

2013 average: 3.39 Rank: 1

Image source, Getty Images

Peter Alliss
BBC Sport commentator

(After Justin Rose's miraculous escape at 15): "I've never seen that happen before."

Justin Rose, you lucky, lucky boy. Second shot to the par-five 15th. Rolling down the slope, approaching the water so fast that it's pulling flippers on. Surely it's going for a dip? No! Held up! How is that even possible? That's defied gravity. Check it for blu tac.

Bubba, who may actually be in navy blue rather than purple, gives his birdie putt a chance but slides it past on the right. Par at three. John Senden, wind rustling his Plymouth Argyle green shirt, three putts for bogey. The Aussie is three under.

Golf analyst Frank Nobilo on BBC TV: "This has been the craziest year. you would have thought Phil Mickelson would have found something and Sergio Garcia too. Bubba Watson is probably playing his best golf, even better than 2012. He is setting the tone and length is the advantage here."

Bubba, after that enormous drive, is chipping to the third green. Could have been better, it's long for birdie. Adam Scott, what have you done? On the fifth, not far away, but only for bogey. Missed and he takes a double. The defending champion is level par.

Lee Westwood on the 10th, a dozen feet for birdie. Sky blue shirt, white trousers. Crouches. Creeping, aaaahhhh, just past on the right.