Adam Uren: Oh, I appear to have taken my paternity leave as the Masters 2016 starts. What an extraordinary coincidence....

What's the temperature again in Augusta? Rory McIlroy's skintight grey shirt looks drenched in sweat around the chest. Or is that just the pattern? Who knows. Anyway...it is quite fitting that a man who has attempted to stay under the radar this week is wearing such a bland colour.

The world number three rips into his opening drive, grimacing a little as he pushes it slightly right. His ball stops just short of the bunker lurking on the right side of McIlroy's landing range. In play.

Image source, Reuters

Jordan Spieth was presented with a nasty up and down, chipping from below the green on 14. As always, his short game was exquisite, leaving three feet for par. No bogeys yet for the Texan.

Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent at Augusta National

Rory McIlroy has a game made for Augusta but has yet to prove he can eliminate ruinous runs like his outward 40 in the second round of last year's tournament.

The Northern Irishman's Masters results are improving. He was 15 under par for the concluding 45 holes to finish a career-best fourth in 2015.

Yet the traits of his year to date suggest he is still prone to mistakes that cancel out those birdies that never seem in short supply. The moment he eliminates such errors at Augusta will be the time he completes the career Grand Slam.

It might happen this week but that would mean bucking the trend of his winless year. Several opportunities for victories have been squandered.

And the British and Irish invasion doesn't end there. Some Northern Irish kid called Rory? He's about to tear one off the first tee...

So how are our British hopes shaping up in these very early stages. Put simply, very nicely indeed.

Chasing Jordan Spieth on five under comes the English trio of Justin Rose (-3), Lee Westwood (-2) and Paul Casey (-2).

Matt Fitzpatrick is a shot further back after seven holes, while Ian Poulter is level par through four.

Scotland's Russell Knox is one over while Welshman Jamie Donaldson, who was two under after five, is two over after 10.

In case you missed it...the four-time Major winner (and two-time Masters runner-up) got the putting yips on the first...

Sean Martin from PGA HQ has a stat which underlines the consistency of a certain Jordan Spieth...

So far we have eight finishers and only one has ended under par - American Kevin Streelman on one under. It makes this Jordan Spieth effort look all the more tasty. The breeze is up ladies and gents, hope the patrons have brought their windbreakers...

Image source, Getty Images

I don't want to kick a bloke when he's down but...Ernie Els?! He was next to the green for two on the first - then SEVEN-PUTTED for that terrible 10. I'm sorry but how did he manage to do that. That's Happy Gilmore-esque before he met Chubbs Peterson.

Anyway...the Big Easy salvages some pride with a par on the second. But even then he three-putted...

Richard Scott: I suspect most of us would take a couple of swipes before connecting so it would be five off the tee. #dontjudgeernie

Our trusted duo of Hazel Irvine and Ken Brown prepare to appear on the BBC News channel and if you look really closely, you can see Rory McIlroy practicing his chipping in the background before his 19:01 BST start.

Tweet! Tweet! No mistake from Spieth or Casey on the gettable 13th. Spieth, with his cross-handed putting grip, slams his tiddler into the can. He almost needs an electronic gadget to prise it open though, sneaking in round the right rim. Casey makes lighter work of his three-footer, knocking in to stop the bogey-filled rot.

Image source, AFP/GETTY

Jason Day has a dig from 257 yards on the second to try to set up eagle... nice hit, 11ft to go. Here it goes...drops. That's the start the world number one wanted, two under through two.

Paul Casey...eagle.chance at 13...dribbles it down the slope. Is it going to break right-to-left...come on...nope. Back up the hill for a birdie.

Next up...Jordan Spieth. About 12 feet between ball and cup. Straightforward. Ish. Drills it...Spieth bends his white-slacked knees...oooohh! He's whistled it past. 

The birdies are still tweeting in the pair's ears, however...

Danny Willett, how are the bags under the eyes?

Becoming a dad for the first time just days before your second tilt at a Masters could either be draining or inspiring I guess.

Willett will probably opt for the latter as his life has gone pretty well in the last year. The Sheffield-born player has soared through the rankings to number 12 in the world. He looked strong at the Open Championship last year but does he have a major in him?

Who's the daddy? Danny Willett is the daddy! But will the new father be the daddy at Augusta? We're about to find out...

-4: Spieth (After 12),

-3: Berger (8)

-2:  Matsuyama (10) Snedeker (5).

Selected others: -1: Casey (12), Westwood (15) Fitzpatrick (6) Rose (8), Stenson (9), B Watson (2).

Par: Poulter (2),Clarke(6), Mickelson (9) Day (1) +1:  Scott (7), +4: Fowler (11), Woosnam (7).

Follow these links for tee-off times and a full leaderboard.

Image source, .

I think Ernie has broken the super-duper shot-tracker on the Masters website. That's only showing his opening seven shots. When technology fails because of human stupidity.

Our office statistician (of sorts) has confirmed that it is the highest-ever score on the 445-yard par-four.

From the ridiculous to the sublime...Spieth and Casey both have eagle chances on the 13th...