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Justin Rose had to settle for a second runners-up spot in three years as he lost a play-off to Sergio Garcia last term, letting slip a one-shot lead with two holes to play.

The 2013 US Open champion has never won at Augusta, but has enjoyed four top-10 finishes in the past six Masters and has the best score in relation to par at the tournament since 2011.

Rose has actually also made the most birdies and eagles of any player at Augusta since 2012, and has the best greens in regulation percentage in the last five years.

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Dustin Johnson was favourite to win the Green Jacket before the tournament began 12 months ago, having risen to the top of the world rankings for the first time with victory at the Genesis Open.

Wins in the WGC-Mexico Championship and WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play followed, before Johnson withdrew from the Houston Open to rest.

But the American then fell down some stairs at his rental house in Augusta and - after a last-gasp fitness test - had to withdraw from the year's first major.

The 33-year-old had finished sixth and fourth at Augusta in his previous two starts and began 2018 with an eight-shot win in the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

The final group of the day is stood on the first tee and limbering up. All that practice, all that preparation, now it's time to do it for real.

Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose and Rafa Cabrera-Bello are ready to roll...

Uh oh. Tiger Woods didn't look happy from the moment he hit that tee shot, and no wonder. The wind catches it and sends his ball sprawling into the water on the 12th. He won't be fetching that.

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He talked about the importance of a strong opening day and Rory McIlroy is out of the blocks quicker than Usain Bolt.

The Northern Irishman cracks an opening drive 315 yards down the middle of the first fairway, following that up with a short iron that is swallowed up by the green.

A 19-foot putt for birdie... easy. What a start!

Oops. A few choice words from Tiger. Having instructed the punters flanking the 11th fairway to step back, he proceeds to fire a daisy-cutter into what looked like the lower limbs of one such patron and makes little progress.

Somehow, Woods had made it to the green with a chance of par, but the four-time Masters champion misreads the green and cards his third bogey of the day.

Tommy Fleetwood makes it back to back bogeys to also drop to two over.

Marc Leishman is playing in a world of his own, a birdie chance to take a two-shot lead, but he leaves it short.

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Vijay Singh drops back off the pace after bogeying the par-four 14th. That puts him in a pack of five men on -2, leaving Marc Leishman on his tod at the front.

Red is starting to take over the Augusta leaderboard now as 17 players are under-par. Including a certain Rory McIlroy...

What a start for Lefty. The man who many reckon could become the oldest winner of the Masters this week, finds the heart of the 1st green with his approach shot then... boom! He sees a 46-foot putt disappear down the drain.

More problems for Fleetwood at the 11th, notoriously one of the toughest holes on the course. He is under the huge pines and can only chip out of the pine straw so is going to have a long third at the par four. Playing partner Leishman continues to make serene progress, however, he has pitched it to around seven feet and will have another birdie chance.

Both Paul Casey and Hideki Matsuyama are eating sand on the 12th. A club more t'was needed lads.

Casey recovers by almost holing his bunker shot, the ball pinging off the edge and lipping out. That leaves him with a testy five-footer back.. he's missed it. Casey's putting problems continue.

Matsuyma has no such problems, maintaining his flawless start with a 12th par from 12.

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Another one gone for Fleetwood, he is unable to save par from 12 feet at the 10th and he is back to one over. It looked as if he trod on Tiger's line there - involuntarily I'm sure - but it doesn't cause any problems for Woods, who holes out from two feet for his par to stay at one over himself. Nearly three hours to play those 10 holes though.

Image source, EPA

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Rory McIlroy is targeting a fast start at Augusta this week as he aims to complete a career Grand Slam.

McIlroy has an under-par scoring average in his nine previous appearances at Augusta, racking up four consecutive top-10 finishes and missing the cut only once.

But the Northern Irishman knows where he must improve...

"Sometimes I feel like I've given this golf course a little too much respect and that goes back to to what I was saying about being a slow starter," McIlroy said.

"Last year I shot 72 in that really windy first day and Charley Hoffman had shot 65.

"I thought I played pretty well, but all of a sudden you're seven back with three rounds to go. So you don't want to put too much pressure on yourself to start off fast, but you want to be there or thereabouts after the first couple of days.

"I have gotten in my own way here before, but I think because I'm a little more comfortable on the golf course and comfortable in my game, I don't think that will happen this week."

Meanwhile, back on the first... it's Rory Time!

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Surely this one needs little introduction? Augusta National's shortest hole is arguably THE most famous golf hole.

The par-three 12th is one of the most cherished holes in golf. Unpredictable winds, Rae's Creek, a shallow green... players stride across the iconic Hogan Bridge hoping to have avoided serious damage on Augusta's shortest hole.

Just ask Jordan Spieth...

Paul Casey gets back in the groove with a birdie on the 11th, just what what you want before you walk to... gulp... Golden Bell...

Vijay Singh is back at three under for the second time today and the 2000 Masters champion, now 55 and ranked 518 in the world, has recorded his fifth birdie of the day. Five holes left for the big Fijian.

Image source, Getty Images

If we could use a clapping emoji in this live text, then I'd put in three for David in Glasgow. Tune!

David in Glasgow: Last night a Vijay saved my life by (P)indeep.

Andy from Wigan: To the tune of Bad Moon Rising.

I see Tiger's going drivingI see trouble on the way Don't go down the rightThe trees are on that side Tiger's scorecards on the rise!

Image source, #bbcmasters

Three-time champion Phil Mickelson had not claimed a tournament win since 2013 until beating Justin Thomas at the WGC-Mexico Championship last month.

Now 'Lefty' is a genuine candidate to surpass Jack Nicklaus as the oldest Masters winner.

But the 47-year-old American has mixed feelings about potentially surpassing Nicklaus's record set in 1986.

"It is hard for me to believe given that I have watched that Masters so many times over the years," Mickelson said.

"I remember watching it when I was in high school and how hard I pulled for him and how much I loved that Masters.

"And now to think that I'm this age, the time just flies by, it goes by so quick. For me to sit here now as a past champion, it really means a lot to me."

The next cab off the Augusta rank is an executive one. Plush leather seats, blacked out windows, the works.

Phil Mickelson. Rickie Fowler. Matt Kuchar.