However... we appear to have jinxed Mark O'Meara. He's dropped down the leaderboard after a treble bogey on seventh.

That's a shame. With him, Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia on the leaderboard Augusta would have been partying like it was 1999.

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I was about to rattle off a flowery entry about how the white sand at Augusta has had me reminiscing of Cambodian beaches, but a colleague has just shot that analogy down with the revelation IT'S NOT ACTUALLY SAND.

Apparently, it's quartz, and is a waste product of the mining process that takes place in North Carolina... every day's a school day, and all that.

The leaderboard already has more star names than a Oscars after-party guestlist.

Around the same time as we hear our first Tiger Roar, defending champion Sergio Garcia and world number two Justin Thomas both pop in birdie putts on the second to join him.

Work to do for Tommy Fleetwood to save par, but that's not dropping. The Southport golfer leaves his putt short from eight feet to card a first bogey.

Marc Leishman, though, how about that! The Australian's on fire, and he just tickles a swerving, downhill putt into the heart of the cup to go two under and take a share of the lead with Vijay Singh.

Wait for it... we're about to hear a roar that will rumble right around the state of Georgia. Tiger Woods steps up, six feet from the flag, and pops home his first birdie of the 2018 Masters. Game on.

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Never mind Tiger Woods... look at his old pal Mark O'Meara! Twenty years since his Masters triumph - on what could be his last appearance - the 61-year-old is on the leaderboard.

The American is one under after six - one of just four men in the red.

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Alistair Bruce-Ball
BBC Radio 5 live at Augusta National

BBC Radio 5 live has a major winner on its commentary team in Shaun Micheel, who triumphed in the 2003 US PGA Championship, and it makes him an honorary invitee here at Augusta.

It also means we get to visit certain parts of Augusta National that we don't always get to see. We drove down the hallowed Magnolia Lane on Monday, the tree-lined avenue that leads up to the clubhouse, with the immaculate Founders' Circle in front of it where the patrons queue for ages to get their photo by the America-shaped flowerbed with the bright yellow Augusta flag at the top of the flagstick.

We also got to visit Tournament Headquarters where there is a wonderful line-up of photos of all the previous Masters winners on one of the walls. They are simple head-shots with the champion in his green blazer and tie but so evocative of their time with Sam Snead in his familiar pork pie hat, the only player who was allowed any headgear it seems, and a very young Gary Player after his first win in 1961 with a bushy, boy-band haircut and a big, beaming smile.

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Tommy Fleetwood is pacing around the green, trying to figure out how he can get this approach to stick. It's a long walk back to where his tee shot landed, and the world number 12 overcooks his wedge a touch to leave it on the bank.

Marc Leishman has started brightly. His approach barely leaves the ground but stops five feet from the flag, only for the Australian to watch Tiger Woods go even closer from almost the same spot.

"Woooo..." says on overexcited Tiger fan. They might just pop before this round is out.

Paul Casey is planting his feet in more white sand than a student on summer-long 'working holiday' in Ibiza.

The Englishman is back in the bunker on the par-3 fourth, drilling his tee shot into the trap guarding the front of the green. We've all been there.

His wedge is more like a spade though, taking too much sand and leaving him short of a makeable par putt. One over after three for Casey, who has seven top-20 finishes in his 11 Masters appearances.

Marc Leishman opts for his driver and thwacks it into the intended target, right in the middle of the fairway, with Tiger Woods following the Australian's almost exact line.

The bearded Tommy Fleetwood, hair flowing like a rock star on tour, coaxes his tee shot to the left to send a huddle of spectators dancing out of the way. It's not too bad a lie, though.

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Here's Sergio! Defending champion Garcia is given a ear-ringing ovation as he steps onto the first tee and prepares to defend the Green Jacket.

Garcia pulls his drive left into the first cut, miscues his second to stay that side of the green, then saves par with a brilliant chip which leaves him with a tap-in.

Playing partners Justin Thomas - who will become world number one with a victory here - and US Amateur champion Doc Redman also sink nerve-settling pars.

The crowd around the second green must be 10 or 12 deep. Wonder who they're here to see?

Tiger Woods takes his time, and barely dabs the ball with his putter as it scrambles down hill, picking up speed before flirting with the cup and staying up. A bow of disbelief from the returning four-time Masters champion, but he'll prod in for another par.

Marc Leishman, going somewhat under the radar in Tiger's shadow, is down for an early birdie. Tommy Fleetwood adds a second par of his own.

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"Stay," says Fleetwood, directing his approach shot towards the flag but watching it roll back on itself a few feet.

That's a cracker from Marc Leishman. He's followed Fleetwood step for step in the opening two shots, but catches the back of the green and sees his ball bobble back to within two or three feet of the pin.

Tiger Woods then, playing out of the sand, and doing so with minimal fuss. He'll putt down the hill, and is looking at a birdie chance within 10 feet.

Image source, Reuters

Sergio Garcia has served up his Champions Dinner, now the Spaniard is ready to try and defend his Green Jacket.

Garcia won his first major title at the 74th attempt last year, beating Ryder Cup team-mate Justin Rose on the first hole of a sudden-death play-off.

"As a Masters champion it's a different feeling and it's unbelievable," said Garcia, who is bidding to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods in claiming back-to-back victories at Augusta National.

It has been a busy 12 months for the 38-year-old, who also witnessed the birth of daughter Azalea, appropriately named after Augusta's 13th hole.

"I'm enjoying every minute of it and hoping I can go out there and play great again and have the chance to defend the Green Jacket," he added.

Sergio is on the first tee and ready to roll...

Double bogey. Bogey. Par.

Not the start Patton Kizzire was hoping for on his Masters debut. The outrageously-named American steadies the ship on the third with a neat par, while his more experienced playing partners - England's Paul Casey and world number six Hideki Matsuyama - give him a little lesson in keeping it tight early doors.

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Tommy Fleetwood nips one out of the fairway-side bunker, barely disturbing the crisp white sand and giving Marc Leishman an idea of how the Australian's ball might also be sitting.

Tiger Woods, silhouetted by the Augusta sunshine in his all-black outfit, couldn't be sitting any sweeter. But that comes up short and right from the 42-year-old, and amid the shadows you can just about make out a slight frown on the American's face.

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For many years the relationship between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson was rather frosty as the American pair battled for major honours and the right to be called world number one.

But it has thawed somewhat in recent years, so much so that they played a practice round together ahead of the Masters. And that even drew a gag from Rory McIlroy., external

"He's very easy to be around and I enjoy our time together," three-time Masters winner Mickelson, 47, said. "We laugh, we tell stories, we're both self-deprecating, and yet we can both throw in a little jab here and there. And we just have fun together."

Four-time champion Woods, 42, added: "Our friendship has gotten stronger over the years. We have had a great 20-year battle, hopefully we'll have a few more.

"But we understand where we are in the game now versus where we were in our early 20s. That was then and certainly this is now."

It's a beaut of a day at Augusta, and that's a beaut of a tee shot from Tiger Woods. The American is 28 under for the second hole here during his career, and he's absolutely lashed his drive right down the centre of the fairway.

Both Marc Leishman and Tommy Fleetwood find a hungry looking bunker. All the cheers are for Tiger.

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Magnificent from Tiger. He rolls a putt up some 75 feet up the first green and catches the slope on the other side, stopping it just short of the pin. The 14-time major winner steps towards his ball and prods it home for an opening par.

Fleetwood is maybe 10 feet left of the flag, but the Englishman can't quite find the line - a little work to do for the Southport golfer to make sure he gets through the first all square, but he does so smartly.

Marc Leishman, not wanting to feel left out, follows with a par of his own.

Let's have a little nosey around the course. Vijay Singh has increased his lead to three strokes with another birdie at the fourth, but he's the only man currently under par at the minute.

Paul Casey is through the first at level par, but Danny Willett dropped a shot and English amateur Harry Ellis is now three over.

On their morning drive, Iain Carter and John Murray look ahead at day one of a tournament that John thinks "could be one of the great Masters - if it all comes together".

Don't forget you can also download and subscribe to the BBC's new golf podcast 'The Cut'.