Justin Rose has held or shared the lead in the first round at the Masters on five occasions. Nobody in history has more.

So it's not a surprise to see Rose off the flyer as he rolls in a beautiful putt at the third to make consecutive birdies.

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Oh no! Patrick Reed looks like he's absolutely striped one to the 15th green over the water - and he has - but the only problem is he's hit it too well and it skids off the putting surface and trundles off the back where there's more water and, splash, his ball is wet.

He makes a nice recovery chip after a drop but faces a tough putt for par.

Jon Rahm's second and most recent major triumph was at Augusta National in 2023 but he's already on the back foot as he coughs up another shot on the par-four third.

While his European Ryder Cup team-mate Ludvig Aberg collects his second birdie of the day on the fourth, there's nowt doing for the Spaniard, who has work to do.

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After the fireworks on 13, Shane Lowry must settle for a par five on 15, but he does well not to drop one after his speedy birdie try zips a good five feet past.

But he's still on track for a sub-70 opening.

Paul Birch
BBC Sport

The scoring average so far today is +3.6.

Early days of course but despite the good conditions if that figure stayed the same it would be the fifth hardest first round since 1983.

Topping Data Golf's list is 1988, with a scoring average of +4.67 - and that year saw the only Scottish winner in Sandy Lyle.

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Scottie Scheffler with a tricky putt down the hill on the first for a birdie but he just overcooks so has to settle for par.

Scotland's Robert MacIntyre and Gary Woodland also open their rounds with a par.

Xander Schauffele is looking pretty menacing for the rest of the field here as he makes his fourth birdie of the day on the par-fove 13th to get to three under and stalking the leaders.

One thing we know about Xander after 2024 is that he now knows how to close it out in the majors.

Talk about a rollercoaster round. Kurt Kitayama carded five pars today and from the ninth went birdie, birdie, bogey, double bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie, par, birdie, par.

The unfancied American signs for a three-under 69, mind. He can head into the clubhouse well satisfied with his day's work.

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If there's any justice in the world Justin Rose will be slipping on the Green Jacket on Sunday night after suffering a second play-off heartbreak last year.

All eyes were rightly on Rory McIlroy but Rose, ever the gemtleman in defeat, became just the second man to lose multiple Masters play-offs after Ben Hogan, after also missing out against Sergio Garcia in 2017.

And he didn't do much wrong in either.

Rose now has three runner-up finishes after also coming second to Jordan Spieth in 2015. Only Tom Weiskopf, runner-up four times in seven years, has finished second more times without winning at Augusta.

That's some putt from Tommy Fleetwood on 14, about 20 feet and breaking one way then the other while turning down the slope, but he's judged it to perfection to pick up a birdie and get back to three under.

Patrick Reed makes a bad mistake as he comes up short and tumbles down what's more like an embankment than just a slope, but his short game is razor sharp as he almost knocks it in, but will skip away with a par after that second shot.

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Jordan Spieth has the crowd cheering on a long putt for an eagle at the second which just kisses the lip of the hole. He taps in for a birdie.

Justin Rose plays a superb chip on to the green then follows up with a simple birdie putt. The Englishman is up and running.

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Another disconsolate sigh from McIlroy as he sends his shot into the par-three 12th long and left.

We've seen a lot of players go for the bump-and-run option from there, but McIlroy takes out the flatstick and judges the pace through the fringe really well, leaving three feet for par.

In it goes and he's off to the par-five 13th. Can he match his good mate Shane Lowry's eagle?

A first birdie of the day for Cameron Young gets him back to +3 but a double bogey drops amateur Mason Howell back to six over.

All smiles for Shane Lowry after watching his third to the par-five 13th skip its way into the cup.

And he still has the par-five 15th to come...

Scottie Scheffler looking a little more clean shaven than normal.

What stubble he does have remaining he pensively scratches after plopping an iron on to the green at the first leaving a slightly tricky putt down the hill.

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Jon Rahm escapes with a par on the second but Ludvig Aberg goes one better and rolls in for his birdie.

Take a bow Patrick Reed, that's an incredible par saver on 13 after he flew the green - that's one place you just can't miss on this hole but that wand of a flat stick bails him out.

He's one of the best on these Augusta green is the 2018 Masters champ and he showed just why here by canning it from long range to save his five.

McIlroy doesn't like his approach into 11. It's clear of the drink and actually ends in a decent spot, about 20 feet below the cup.

He's happy enough to take a two-putt par from there.

On to the treacherous 12th...

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Matt Fitzpatrick is not a million miles away from a hole-in-one on the 12th as his tee shot is fired right at the flag and lands just a couple of feet shot, that will have looked amazingi n the air.

Bryson DeChambeau gets a par here to settle himself but he'll still be trying to clam himself down after that horror show on 11.

World number one Scottie Scheffler has a steely look in his eyes as he blocks out the noise of the fans congregated on the first tee.

The American belts an opening drive straight down the fairway.

Gary Woodland a little more relaxed as he touches his chest in appreciation of the crowd before he too finds the fairway on the par-four first.