Summary

  • Rory McIlroy chasing career Grand Slam at Augusta

  • McIlroy opens with one-under-par 71

  • Jordan Spieth leads by three on -8

  • England's Justin Rose tied second on -5

  • Defending champion Bubba Watson finishes -1

  • Sergio Garcia -4; Paul Casey -3; Tiger Woods +1

  1. Gallacher birdies 15, is -2published at 18:06 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    Stephen GallacherImage source, Getty Images

    Scotland's Stephen Gallacher is two under after birdie at 15, Ireland's Padraig Harrington kicks off with a bogey. Westwood wasn't saying his prayers round Amen Corner - bogey, double-bogey at 12 and 13, he's three over.

  2. VOTEpublished at 18:03 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    It is time for our second vote of the day and it's all about Tiger.

    How many more majors will Tiger Woods win?

    Register your vote on the right of this page.

    The vote will close at 2200 BST. The result will be announced in this page. Full terms and conditions available here.

  3. T Watson cards one-under 71published at 18:02 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    Two-time winner Tom Watson is in with a 71, that's mightily impressive. Villegas of Colombia finished bogey, double-bogey for an even-par 72. If he only could, he'd currently be taking a seven iron to the locker room.

  4. BBC Sport - Get inspiredpublished at 17:59 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    Graeme McDowell

    Take your time, clean your grips, do not take gambles.

    These are just a few of the tips some professionals have given BBC Sport to pass on to you so you can start scratching shots off that handicap.

    Watch this video for tips from Jose Maria Olazabal, G-Mac and others.

    "Let the score come to you," says Olazabal.

  5. Postpublished at 17:59 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    Rose has hammered his drive down the middle at 13, Bubba has carved his into the jungle out left. In case anyone was wondering, Russell Henley, currently second and also a bit handy with a guitar, is no relation of the Eagles' Don. At least not as far as I know. Any anyway, Don played drums. I think.

  6. Els birdies two & three, is -2published at 17:55 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    Bubba saves par at 12 and stays -1. Tom Watson is also -1 after 17, could finish in the red. Patrick Reed picks up a shot at 13 to clamber into the red. Ernie Els, who has never won at Augusta, has come out firing with birdies at two and three, he's two under.

  7. Postpublished at 17:52 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    Bubba for birdie at 12... leaves himself a tricky five-footer coming back. Dustin with a 12-footer for par... straight down the middle, he stays -1. There are some big, ugly scores out there, including Mike Weir's +10 through 17. Rose with a nice birdie attempt at 12, taps in to stay -3.

  8. BBC Sport votepublished at 17:49 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    Drum roll please... we are about to reveal the results of our first Masters vote. Earlier, we asked you: Who will win the 2015 tournament? Unsurprisingly you plumped for the world number one...

    Rory McIlroy: 29.8%

    Other: 14.4%

    Jordan Spieth: 13.7%

    Tiger Woods: 10.1%

    Bubba Watson: 6.7%

    Rickie Fowler: 6.6%

    Henrik Stenson: 5.2%

    Justin Rose: 5.3%

    Adam Scott: 4.8%

    Phil Mickelson: 3.5%

    Another vote will be heading your way pretty soon....

  9. Stenson sufferingpublished at 17:49 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    Henrik StensonImage source, Getty Images

    Henrik Stenson is in his 10th consecutive year at the Masters but his preparation for this year's tournament has been hampered by flu.

    The 39-year-old Swede, who has not finished worse than fourth in his last three tournaments, had to withdraw from the Shell Houston Open last week because of the illness.

    He has never finished in the top 10 at the Masters, with his highest finish 14th, and only once has he shot a round in 60s at Augusta, a 69 in the final round in 2013.

  10. Casey birdies nine, is -3published at 17:48 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    Mickelson follows bogey at six with bogey at seven and is back level. As is McIlroy, after a restorative birdie at seven. England's Paul Casey, the forgotten man of European golf, is out in three under. Would be nice to see him do well this week after a few years of travails.

  11. Postpublished at 17:45 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    Tom Fordyce
    Chief sports writer at Augusta

    "Bubba Watson might have been voted the player his fellow pros would be least likely to help in a fistfight, but the Augusta galleries are definitely in his corner. The two-time Masters champion says he even voted for himself in the poll - which is either the move of a pacifist or masochist - but he's thrown plenty of punches on the front nine, landing birdies on both the par fives as the committed Christian heads towards Amen Corner."

  12. Schwartzel eagles eight, is -3published at 17:45 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    South Africa's Charl Schwartzel, champion in the McIlroy meltdown year of 2011, has eagled eight and is three under. Back on 11, here's Dustin Johnson skewing his approach right of the green. Rose on tee at 12... all over the pin and a half-chance coming back.

  13. Dustin ready for maiden majorpublished at 17:41 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    Dustin Johnson looks a great play this week.

    The 30-year-old won brilliantly at Doral in March and only lost in a play-off two weeks earlier at the Northern Trust Open.

    Dustin JohnsonImage source, Dustin Johnson Twitter

    Johnson you may recall took six months off from the game last year to confront "personal challenges" but my word is he back and firing. He has never finished in the top 10 at Augusta.

    "I mean, the golf course, I feel like sets up very well for me," he said in the build-up to Thursday's tee off. "I've contended in all the other (majors), just not here. To me, yeah, this one sets up the best for me. I really can't explain it. I feel like I should play well here."

  14. Rose bogeys 11, drops to -3published at 17:40 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    Sheffield's Danny Willett is in with a 71, not bad for a first try round Augusta. Bubba lets a shot go at 11, the defending champion drops to -1. Rose, too, gets too greedy and he drops out of a tie for second and back to -3.

  15. Upcoming tee-timespublished at 17:36 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    Think you've already missed out on most of the Augusta fun? Think again. Plenty of big names have yet to stride on to the first tee including....

    17:42: Padraig Harrington (Ire), Ryan Palmer (US), Thomas Bjorn (Den)

    18:04: Matt Kuchar (US), Brooks Koepka (US), Graeme McDowell (NI)

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

    18:37: Victor Dubuisson (Fra), Luke Donald (Eng), John Senden (Aus)

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

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

  16. Postpublished at 17:36 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    Bubba Watson and Justin RoseImage source, AP

    Justin Rose, one off the lead, leaks his approach right at 11 but he's got a shot. Bubba at 11, curving one in, and he's safely on the right edge. The unheralded Russell Henley of the United States joins Rose in joint-second after a birdie at 14. The 25-year-old has two wins on the PGA Tour. Type 'Russell Henley' and 'guitar' into your search engine and you'll see Russell Henley strumming his instrument.

  17. Postpublished at 17:30 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    Dustin JohnsonImage source, Getty Images

    The fancied Dustin Johnson is having a right old ding-dong with Augusta - he stumbled out of the blocks with bogeys at three and four but is now one under after 10. Two former Masters champions from the United Kingdom, Ian Woosnam and Sandy Lyle, are in the red after five and three holes respectively.

  18. Postpublished at 17:26 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    Stephen GallacherImage source, Getty Images

    Stephen Gallacher of Scotland, currently one under, for eagle at 13... leaves himself a six-footer coming back for birdie. Anirban Lahiri of India is playing with Westwood and Jimenez and he was level through 10.

  19. Postpublished at 17:24 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    Patrick ReedImage source, AP

    Tom Watson hasn't missed a Masters since his debut in 1970, when he missed the cut. He's only made the cut twice since 1997 but had a top-20 finish as recently as 2010. Patrick Reed has a win on the PGA Tour this season, he took out the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in January.

  20. Postpublished at 17:21 British Summer Time 9 April 2015

    Justin RoseImage source, Reuters

    England's Justin Rose, who flew in under the radar this week, is now one off the lead after a birdie at 10. Tom Watson has made birdie at the par-three 16th and is two under. Mickelson, playing with McIlroy, also made bogey at six and is now one under.