Phil Mickelson's round has more ups and downs than the Big Dipper. 

He responds to that double bogey on the third by narrowly missing a 35-foot birdie putt, then knocks his second on the par-four fourth within 13 feet of the flagstick.

The Fab Four has lost a member. It's like Ringo quitting the Beatles during the White Album sessions.

Can Thomas Pieters be coaxed back in like Liverpool's finest drummer? We will see. 

Pieters drops a shot at the first hole after going through the back of the green with his second.

Playing partner Rickie Fowler stays out in front with Charley Hoffman and Sergio Garcia with an opening par.

Image source, EPA

The BBC team are discussing Sergio's chances in the studio. 

Ken Brown says: "The first thing is he is starting to hole some putts. He is in a calm place. He is getting married in July. Everyone has said for years he has the game to win a major."

Paul Azinger claims: "He can ball strike it with anybody. I look at him and think 'you learn from your experiences'. He just has to get it done. He knows he can do it. He has beaten everybody in this field before.

Hazel Irvine adds that, at 74.92, Sergio has the worst Masters round-three average in the current field.

To follow uninterrupted BBC TV coverage, head on over to BBC Two now or click on the link at the top of this page on desktop.

Sergio, any first-tee nerves given he's in the picture?

That's 307 yards up the middle so I don't think he's rattling inside just yet. Charley Hoffman? Nervous? Similar yardage. 

My guess is these two will be pleased to see no one has torn it up out there just yet. If they can string a couple of birdies together...

Paul Azinger
1993 PGA Championship winner from Augusta on BBC Two

This is still a very dangerous golf course and the players that are behind have to be sensible. You can't just go out there and play aggresively.

Rory McIlroy has lost his groove a touch on four. Suddenly he's looking more Boyzone than Daft Punk. From three-putt territory he leaves around 12ft for par - all of this because of a slack fairway approach. The 12 footer doesn't threaten roars... drop... drop... drop.

Matt Kuchar melting like a snowman in the desert. He misses practically the same putt as Rors and is now three over.

I could watch and listen to Gary Player all night. He's just been slapping himself in the face on BBC Two while explaining how he overcame being one of the smallest golfers, to win nine majors - including being one of only five men to win the Grand Slam of all four majors.

Of course, Rory McIlroy could join that elite group this weekend and Player reckons the Northern Irishman is "destined to win the Grand Slam".

Iain Carter
BBC Radio 5 live at Augusta

Fred Couples has defied his advanced years by taking his customary position on a Masters leaderboard.  Think of it this way: When the 57 year old won his green jacket in 1992, Thomas Pieters was only ten weeks old.

You can hear more from Iain Carter on BBC Radio 5 live from 21:00 BST. 

Anything these kids can do... Fred Couples matches his partner Jon Rahm - without the need to dig out his sand wedge. 

The 57-year-old former champ sticks his approach to seven feet, rattling in the birdie putt.

Most of us would be buzzing after making a sandy par. Jon Rahm has just made a sandy birdie. The young Spaniard lands his second shot on the par-five second in the trap to the left of the green, but flops on and sinks the putt.

A Spanish winner on the weekend of what would have been Seve's 60th birthday? 

Success for Ryan Moore would be a lovely story. 

The 34-year-old lost his grandmother in the days leading up to the Masters and he has seemingly used the loss as inspiration this week so far. 

He makes a safe par on one, as does playing partner William McGirt.

Here are the leaders. Well, two of them.

Thomas Pieters and Rickie Fowler stride out together in the penultimate group. And they don't leave each other's side as they go down the fairway.

Both players pull their opening drives to the left of the fairway.

Image source, Getty Images

The only thing worse than making bogey on a par five is watching your playing partner make birdie.

That's the world Justin Rose is living in right now. He went big bones off the tee, finding the trees so badly he had to take a penalty. 

Adam Scott flirted with the sand but drained a five footer for his birdie.

Different strokes for different folks. Phil Mick goes birdie-birdie-double bogey. Jordan Spieth goes par-par-par. Same result.

The legend that is Gary Player is waxing lyrical about the sadly departed Arnold Palmer on BBC Two.

Quoting Sir Winston Churchill, the 81-year-old said: "Manners maketh the man and that applied to Arnold Palmer.

"He liked his toddies, he liked to smoke and he liked to eat junk, I told him if i lived like him I'd have been dead in my 60s."

Image source, Reuters

Phil Mickelson, after a birdie-birdie start, is duffing things up badly on three.

His third shot on this short par-four is a wedge and as soon as it's hit the crowd groan. It will not make it up onto the green and he'll now be putting for par from off the green and below the green.

Sends it...heavy... very heavy. It'll be 15ft for bogey and right here, we may be seeing his high hopes smashed with a wrecking ball.

Crack. A double bogey. Lefty gives those two birdies straight back into the hand of Augusta.

You know that cracking start by Phil Mickelson?

On the fourth, Rory McIlroy has another birdie chance but it never has the legs, par only. 

Earlier we told you that Kevin Chappell holed out from the fairway when making a decent move in the field. 

He's given a shot back but is now at one over at the turn having started the day three over par.

Take a look at his magic below. If you're using the app you may have to click the link.

A huge ovation for Fred Couples as his name is announced on the first tee. He must feel like Harry Styles walking out at Wembley Arena.

The second-oldest swinger in town (he's 12 months younger than Larry Mize) makes a cracking start as he begins his unlikely challenge for a second Masters title.

A 14-foot birdie foot slips past, but a par equals the efforts of playing partner Jon Rahm.

The 22-year-old Spaniard was not even born when Freddie slipped into the Green Jacket in 1991...