Justin Rose is in pretty good shape heading into the back nine.

He picks up a birdie on the par-five eighth with a delicious chip on to the green before nailing a six-footer.

The 45-year-old comes up short of the green with his approach on the ninth but recovers to save par.

Since moving from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf, Jon Rahm’s scoring average in majors is 71.23, nearly a full stroke higher than it was from 2018-2023.

And he now ends up with another bogey on the ninth from a seemingly ideal position on the fairway.

His wedge into the green spins his ball back and instead of being within 10 feet he's faced with a 32-feet putt up the slope that he pushes four feet past. Itr leaves a slidey one back down the gradient and he nudges it left.

Ludvig Aberg fairs even worse after finding trouble from the tee and then completely misreading his third from the just off the back of the green - eventually taking a double.

Chris Gotterup is the only one of the trio to have the measure of the ninth with a lovely approach that uses the nap to work the ball down to the hole for a tap-in birdie.

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McIlroy finds sand off the tee on 18. He's only hit five fairways today.

He makes clean contact but cries "left" as he skips out of the bunker. It lands on the right edge of the green and initially rolls closer to the pin on the left before trickling back down the slope.

It's by no means a guaranteed two-putt from around 40 feet on the lower level, but he passes his final test of the day, makes par and will sign for a 67 to sit alongside Sam Burns.

That's his lowest Masters opening round since a sparkling 65 in 2011. A great day's work for the defending champion before a later tee time tomorrow.

Cameron Young was four over through 11 holes so he's done well to card a 73, while US Amateur champion Mason Howell shoots 77 having been seven over after 14.

Birdies have seemed easier to come by on the back nine so Scottie Scheffler is keeping himself in the frame as he edges closer to the turn.

The American taps his foot after putting at the seventh but there's not quite enough juice on a 24-foot birdie putt and it comes up short. Par for the world number one.

Scotland's Robert MacIntyre bounces back from a couple of bogeys with par.

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Oh no! Poor finish for Matt Fitzpatrick, who hits the fairway bunker off the tee on 18 and then finds the greenside bunker with his second - his escape is good but trickles back down the slope leaving a long par putt.

That misses, but with a short bogey try his ball does a big horshoe around the lip and back out again! A double-bogey six to finish will be infuriating for the Yorkshireman as he finishes with a 74.

Bryson DeChambeau hasn't had much joy at Augusta today either, as he bogeys the last having dragged a shot back on 17, so he finishes with a four-over 76 and already has a mountain to climb.

Xander Schauffele is in a decent position though after finishing with a par for a 70.

Rory McIlroy had to stay patient during the first half of his round but a hat-trick of birdies from 13 has seen him join American Sam Burns at the top of the leaderboard.

Nicolai Hojgaard is having a pretty tough time of things with four bogey in five holes when he holes out from across the water on the 13th for eagle.

McIlroy smokes his drive down 17 and sets up another birdie chance with a smooth approach.

Not this time, though - it slips past on the left and he settles for par.

Another four strokes for an opening-round 67.

Ludvig Åberg has finished second and seventh in his two Masters appearances so far and has finished tied for third and fifth twice in his three previous starts, although that includes his final-round capitulation at the Players.

He's looking good today and playing sensible golf, not attacking the difficult pin on the eighth and instead taking two putts from 20 feet for another solid par.

Shane Lowry, speaking to Sky Sports:

"I felt in control. I got off to a great start, hit some lovely shots early and had a disaster on the fourth [with the double bogey].

"I did well to compose myself after that and plotted my way around the course quite nicely. The course is already a bit crusty so I'm happy enough with that and looking forward to watching some golf this afternoon."

On his hole-out eagle on 13:

"It's a shot I've been working on. After getting a bit sloppy, I'm really happy with that. Tricky enough pin up there, I knew it was going close so I was happy to see it going in."

Oh that's a crying shame for Tommy Fleetwood who has a long birdie putt on the 18th but leaves it well short and then pulls his par effort wide left of the cup.

That's a game of two halves in a 71 for the Englishman, who reached the turn in four under but then went three over on the back nine including bogeys on 16 and 18, so he'll trudge off hugely disappointed with that.

Patrick Reed had a similar day to Fleetwood, as he made a flying start to the Masters with two eagles in a five-under front nine of 31, before two bogeys coming in to sign for a 69.

That's a decent enough start for the 2018 champion but these golfers are perfectionists and after such a good front nine he'd have wanted better.

Justin Rose purses his lips a little on the green at the seventh after tapping in his fourth consecutive par.

Rose had hit a 355-yard drive then avoided the five bunkers with a good iron shot to leave himself 18 feet from the pin.

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I know, I know, it's a long way off but just say Rory McIlroy wins The Masters again, what should be done at the Green Jacket ceremony?

Tradition says the Augusta National chairman puts the jacket on a back-to-back winner, as the previous champion usually does it, but surely we can think of a better way?

Could we let McIlroy pick someone? A friend, family member, what about caddie and best pal Harry Diamond?

Or say he has to select any player from the field, so his mate Shane Lowry or another Ryder Cup team-mate, or perhaps being a a bit more provocative somebody he's not always seen eye-to-eye with, like a Bryson DeChambeau or, erm, even Patrick Reed?

Vote below and have your say by using the Get Involved feedback form.

Aaron Rai won the Par 3 Contest on Wednesday and so far that is translating into a very decent showing today.

The Englishman reaches the turn at three under albeit it really ought to be four under with 31-year-old sliding a birdie chance left on the ninth.

A grimace from joint-leader McIlroy at the 16th.

He knows his shot into the iconic par-three is flirting with the ridge that splits the green. It lands around 10 feet left of the cup but slowly trickles down the slope and just keeps going.

It's an impossibly slow putt. He gives it a good whack and it's good enough for a tap-in par.

Two more pars for an opening 67.

Image source, Reuters

Gasps from the patrons at Augusta after Scottie Scheffler rolls one up the hill at the fifth but drops it just two feet short.

The world number one taps in for par and is ticking along nicely.

Robert MacIntyre and Gary Woodland do likewise - the latter with a confidence-boosting save from 21 feet.

Jon Rahm is fighting himself at present. A wayward tee shot on the seventh leaves him the wrong side of the tree line with his ball halted by a patrons bag.

There's no easy route to the green so he plays a punchy shot to bail out into the front-left greenside bunker. Can he get up and down from here? Yes, he can, splashing to 10 feet and then sinking the par putt.

Ludvig Aberg's approach is far more straight forward and present a birdie chance that he can't snaffle.

Meanwhile, Chris Gotterup flies through the back of the green and ends up with a bogey when his birdie putt races past.

It's a par finish for Shane Lowry at the last after almost slam-dunking his approach for a spectacular eagle and tidying up for a four from just off the back of the green.

A bit of a rollercoaster for the Irishman. Four birdies, an eagle, two bogeys and a double.

But it's a solid opening round of 70 and he's well placed.

Jason Day goes one better for a 69 while 2020 winner Dustin Johnson drops one at 18 for a 73.

BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

You can now listen to live coverage from Augusta on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.

Mark Chapman is presenting on-site and is joined by golf correspondent Iain Carter, commentators Alistair Bruce-Ball, Katherine Downes, James Gregg, PGA Tour winner Andrew Magee - who has competed at The Masters seven times - and LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour winner Trish Johnson.

Image source, Reuters

"Arrrgh" is McIlroy's response as he lifts his head to watch his drive at 15 drift to the left.

He's produced wonder shots from that patch before, of course, but he takes his medicine this time and chips back into the fairway.

His third is safe, well clear of the water that guards the front of the green. It's a seriously slick putt from the back of the green...but he drains it!

Woah, that's a bonus. McIlroy is tied for the lead! Three birdies on the spin.

Cameron Young has battled back well, by the way. Three birdies in four and he's up to one over.