The leaderboard is changing quicker than a magician can shuffle a pack of cards. Gary Woodland joins Ian Poulter on top of the leaderboard on two under thanks to a cheeky birdie on the ninth.

Will the American prevent the extinction of the name Gary, external by winning the Green Jacket and so encouraging new mums and dads around the world to name their offspring after the 30-year-old from Kansas and saving the once-popular name. Do it for Gary, Gary.

Image source, AFP

Look to the top of the odds list compiled by every major bookmaker and you will see the same name - Rory McIlroy.

The 25-year-old from Northern Ireland, who only has one top 10 finish in six previous visits, is the hot favourite to win a first Green Jacket.

"My mind wanders to winning this tournament and thinking what it would be like and what it would mean," he says.

"You come to Augusta National, and it's such an intimidating place the first time that you get here.

"I may have shown it a little bit too much respect at times, instead of playing my normal game and playing the way I usually do.

"I'm more experienced now. I think I'm better equipped now to handle if things don't go quite the right way."

Want to take part in our vote? Go on. We're asking you to pick your Masters winner and, currently, Rory McIlroy tops the poll, followed by Jordan Spieth in second. There's still time to cast your vote on this page before the poll booth closes at 17:00 BST.

Terms and conditions can be read here.

It was all going so well for Charley Hoffman and then, then came the par-four 11th. An iffy start for the American as he embarks on Amen Corner, bogeying the 11th, which means Ian Poulter sits alone on top of the leaderboard on two under. It's a nice view from there, so we're told.

In case you didn't know (and frankly where have you been hiding if you didn't) Rory McIlroy is aiming to become only the sixth man to complete a career Grand Slam of golf's four majors.

The world number one, 25, is seeking a first Masters title following victories at the US Open, the Open Championship and the US PGA.

Does the Northern Irishman fit the profile of a first-time Masters winner? How has he fared previously at Augusta? BBC Sport has been crunching the stats to find out...

Attention! You have 20 minutes (or one-third of an hour, or 1200 seconds) to finish that boring spreadsheet or get the kids home from school. Why? Because that is when Rory McIlroy steps out on to the first tee at sun-kissed Augusta.

15:41 Phil Mickelson (US), Rory McIlroy (NI), Ryan Moore (US)

18:15 Henrik Stenson (Swe), Jordan Spieth (US), Billy Horschel (US)

18:48 Jamie Donaldson (Wal), Tiger Woods (US), Jimmy Walker (US)

18:59 Jason Day (Aus), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Rickie Fowler (US)

Check out the full groupings and tee-off times

Another evergreen golfer rolling back the years is Tom Watson. Everyone's favourite 65 year old goes into the red after after a birdie on the par-five eighth. He is tied for third along with Byron Meth, Danny Willett, Gary Woodland, Russell Henley, Keegan Bradley, Stephen Gallacher, Patrick Reed, Kevin Streelman, Bubba Watson and Justin Rose.

England's Ian Poulter, currently tied for the lead at -2, has only had two top-ten finishes in his 10 Masters appearances. Could 2015 be his year?

Doug McDonald: Some hot opening scoring at the Masters, Ian Poulter was my dark horse punt, strong in America recently!

Jamie Gavin: Poults making the early move here - lovely approach to the third sets up a second straight birdie and he holds the joint lead.

Stick on a pair of combat pants and start listening to Backstreet Boys on your Walkman because we're back in the '90s again with Jose Maria Olazabal and Vijay Singh slugging it out in Augusta. The veterans are level par, tied for 13th.

Image source, Reuters

White beard, white hair, white outfit - Darren Clarke resembles Santa Claus dressed as a chef. But his mood won't be as bright as his appearance. The Northern Irishman was level par after four holes, only to three putt on the fifth - the 455-yard par four which has an uphill left dogleg - to go two over.

Nick in St Albans has put a lot of thought into his dream foursome: Obelix 'coz he can carry everyone's clubs, Ray Mears so I can survive whilst I spend the entire day foraging through the undergrowth looking for my lost balls and Kate Beckinsale because I believe in equality on the golf course...and she's hot.

While Kevin Pietersen-themed groups are proving popular:

Yas in Edinburgh: A fourball of myself, Kevin, Matt 'the big cheese' Prior and Paul Downton would be hilarious!

Whoa! Ian Poulter! The Englishman has remembered to bring his clubs and tops the leaderboard with a crash, bang, wallop. Birdies on the second and third holes ties him on two under with Charley Hoffman. A stupendous start.

Image source, AP

How is Danny Willett performing on those Granny Smith coloured greens? Not too shabby at all, actually. The Yorkshireman showing plenty of steel on his Masters debut - recovering from a bogey on the first to go through the seventh level par.

-2 Hoffman (US), -1 Woodland (US), Singh (Fij), Streelman (US), Bradley (US), Poulter (Eng) Level Willett (Eng), Meth (US), Tom Watson (US), Olazabal (Spa), Blixt (Swe), Bubba Watson (US), Gallagher (Sco), Rose (Eng)

Selected others +1 Westwood (Eng), +2 Clarke (NI)

Full leaderboard (official website), external

Tee times

Just as we thought, Bubba Watson comes away from Tea Olive with a regulation par. We're not saying we can see into the future, but we're not saying our correct prediction is a coincidence either. A tiddly putt, six feet according to our Masters friends, ensures there's no drama to tell of on the first.

Image source, graeme_mcdowell

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell's best Masters finish is 12th in 2012. Could this year be the one he pulls on the Green jacket? He has been studying the course, writing on Instagram:, external Round 1 pins here at The Masters. Nice balance of scoring pins and tough ones. 5,10 and 14 are tough to get close to.

Tom Fordyce
Chief sports writer at Augusta

"With just over an hour to go until he launches his 2015 Masters campaign, Rory McIlroy has strolled onto the putting green. Smiles to the curious galleries, whispers to caddie JP Fitzgerald. Outfit for the day? Snow-white trousers, white cap, white polo shirt with black shoulders and a luminous green stripe. Try getting away with that down the Dog and Duck on a Thursday evening."

Image source, Getty Images

Bubba Watson's round is under way! The defending champion strikes a meaty 298-yard tee shot on the 445-yard first hole and looks set to come away from Tea Olive with a par. A solid start from the left-hander.

Three birdies in the first five holes for Charley Hoffman. What a start it's been for San Diego's finest. Actually, Ron Burgundy is San Diego's finest son, we all know that, but Hoffman will challenge Anchorman in the popularity polls should he maintain this form for four days.

Hoffman is two under after seven, a shot ahead of a chasing pack of four players (Gary Woodland, Vijay Singh, Jose-Maria Olazabal and Kevin Streelman). Early days, though, ladies and gentlemen. Early days.

We're asking you who your dream playing partners would be and it seems golfers, Hollywood stars, footballers and cartoon characters are all on the shorlist:

Alistair Marriott: My Fantasy Fourball; myself, Graeme Swann, Ian Poulter and Jimmy Bullard! Reckon that would be a cracker!

Liam Stiles: Bill Murray, Billy Connolly and Scarlett Johansson.

Michael Sneddon: Thierry Henry, Freddie Flintoff, Eric Cartman and me.

Andy Vitins: KP, Peter Moores, Geoff Boycott and me should make a nice friendly Sunday morning fourball!