Peter Scrivener
BBC Sport at Augusta National

Image source, Getty

You've all heard about the Augusta National par-three contest curse, right?

The one the players genuinely fear. In 58 previous stagings of Wednesday's pre-Masters mini-tournament, no winner has gone on to claim the Green Jacket the following Sunday.

England's Matt Wallace edged out 1988 Masters champion Sandy Lyle in a play-off to take the event yesterday.

Wallace is making his Masters debut and no first-timer has won around Augusta since Fuzzy Zoeller 40 years ago.

That alone is some streak to break and, if it were not enough, he now comes face-to-face with the curse.

Iain Carter
BBC Sport golf correspondent at Augusta National

Image source, Getty Images

It is a lunchtime start local time for Tiger Woods as he launches his bid for a fifth green jacket, 14 years since he was last victorious. Woods has oozed confidence in the build-up and is here more in expectation than in hope, the latter having been the case in recent injury hit years. Woods was runner up in his last major the US PGA in August. Can he go one better this week?

There would be no bigger story in golf.

Sarah Mulkerrins and Iain Carter look ahead to the start of The Masters 2019, and ask if Tiger Woods can win the major for a fifth time.

Image source, Getty

The first group on the course are Canada's Corey Conners and American duo Andrew Landry and Adam Long.

Ian Woosnam - Wales' 1991 champion - is in the second.

But the biggest names are in midfield.

Defending champion Patrick Reed gets going at 15:41 BST, with Tiger Woods, hunting his first major since 2008, is off at 16:04 BST. Rory McIlroy goes at 16:15 BST with Justin Rose, Phil Mickelson and Justin Thomas making up a stellar threeball at 18:49 BST.

Full tee times are available here.

Peter Scrivener
BBC Sport at Augusta National

The early-morning sun is rising behind the first tee as honorary starters Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player are warmly welcomed from the clubhouse, under the tree and through the crowds.

I arrived at 7.45am local time for the 8.15 start and it was already 10 deep around the tee box, patrons thinning out down either side of the fairway, hundreds craning necks to catch a glimpse of the record six-time Masters champion.

Player, who won three Green Jackets, is dressed in his traditional black top and trousers and is up first. Left-centre of the fariway, two-thirds of the way up the hill. Decent.

Image source, Getty Images

Nicklaus in yellow, cracks a lower drive down the same line. Thirty yards shorter.

The 2019 Masters has begun.

Image source, Getty

Image source, Getty Images

Of course, the first two shots hit on the morning of a Masters opening day are not the grip-em'-rip-'em balata bazooka drives of the PGA's finest.

First off all, we have these two fellas with 27 Majors and 162 years between them...

Iain Carter
BBC Sport golf correspondent at Augusta National

Image source, Getty Images

There have been four UK winners of the Masters and there is an air of confidence that Sandy Lyle, Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam and Danny Willett will have further company come Sunday night.

The in-form Rory McIlroy should love the soft conditions that will dicate this tournament while Justin Rose comes in as world number one having twice been runner-up in the past four years.

Tommy Fleetwood fancies his chances too and has a game that fits well with the demands of the Augusta National

Eighty-five years on, so much has changed. And so little.

What was a curtain-raiser to a multiple Major winner Jones' new business venture is now the most famous golf tournament in the world.

Yet the white boiler suits, sparkling bunker sand, lush green fairways and kaleidoscope azaleas are exactly as the Augusta National's founder would remember.

Welcome to the 85th edition of the Masters.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty

If the past is a different place, spring 1934 is a real culture shock.

President Roosevelt was busy trying to defuse a car manufacturers strike, Babe Ruth was clubbing home runs for the New York Yankees while in the UK a photograph apparently proving the existence of the Loch Ness Monster was published in the Daily Mail.

And in a little corner of Georgia, Bob Jones made his comeback to competitive golf...