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The fact Gary Woodland is playing is down to his incredible resilience after undergoing brain surgery in 2023 and suffering with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder since then. He's talked of wanting to run off golf courses and needs a big security presence to ease his anxiety. The 2019 US Open champion qualified by winning the Houston Open two weeks ago.

Does Scottie Scheffler only win the Masters in even numbered years? We'll find out on Sunday if the 2022 and 2024 champion can can keep his pattern going.

The world number one won on his first outing of 2026, in January, and followed that with a third and fourth. But two finishes outside the top-20 in his past two tournaments, including his last outing at the Players in March, have led some to question his form. He struggled in the opening rounds at both of those, so today will have added interest.

Scotland's Bob MacIntyre is another being touted for the title. He is trending nicely with a fourth at the Players and joint second last week. But this is only his fourth appearance and he missed the cut last year, after a joint 12th and 23rd in 2021 and 2022.

Shane Lowry walks after his approach to the par-four 14th.

It's good! It lands on the ridge and feeds down the slope towards the cup.

He can't make the slippery putt for a birdie but he remains three under and with a par five coming up.

Justin Rose recovers from an errant tee shot into the tree shot to confidently save par on the first.

Jordan Spieth also makes par but the American's compatriot Brooks Koepka three putts to begin his round with a bogey.

Jon Rahm tries to muscle his approach down towards the green and skips right through on the second.

It won't be easy from there with the pin well left and on a slight down slope.

Ludvig Aberg is in the same boat after finding the greenside bunker but he splashes out superbly and will have a birdie putt from five feet, give or take.

Peter Scrivener
BBC Sport senior journalist

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When major champion Gary Woodland walks on to the first tee he will be checking where the security is as much as where he needs to land his opening drive.

The 2019 US Open champion has organised extra security to help him deal with the anxiety and stress that playing golf can cause him since he had brain surgery in 2023.

Woodland announced last month that he had been dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder since the operation to remove part of a brain tumour, although the mental health condition was only diagnosed about a year ago.

"The whole deal for me is it's visual," he said. "If I can see somebody, then I can remind myself that I'm safe constantly."

Read more about Woodland's story here

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McIlroy tugs his approach to the 10th and it does well to hang on to the fringe.

The defending champ hammers his putt back up the hill. He does well to come up just three feet short and duly knocks that in to keep the momentum going.

He'll target pars at 11 and 12 before possible eagle opportunities at 13 and 15.

Disaster for Bryson DeChambeau who cards a triple-bogey seven on the 11th after having a nightmare trying to get out of a bunker - taking three to escape the trap with the spectre of the water on the opposie side of the green.

That's a horrible, horrible hole for Bryson.

Shane Lowry has battled back so well after dropping three shots in as many holes on the front nine.

After birdies at eight and nine, the eagle lands for him at the par-five 13th with a hole-out from 99 yards and he catapults to within a shot of leaders Sam Burns and Patrick Reed!

Another birdie for Jason Day moves him to two under.

Tommy Fleetwood lets a shot go at the iconic short 12th hole at Augusta, as does Akshay Bhatia, while Patrick Reed makes a nice three after finding the front bunker.

It's getting tough down in Amen Corner now with a blustery wind swirling around making it extremely tough to judge the distance across the water - players are never quite sure which way it's going.

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Jon Rahm and Ludvig Aberg both get away nicely off the first tee as American Chris Gotterup drifts towards the pines.

Gotterup, who has already won twice this season on the PGA Tour and is very much a dark horse for the title, recovers well and finds the back left of the green with his approach and then is a little unfortunate to see a long birdie putt pull up a few inches from the cup.

Rahm, who comes up short with his iron into the dance floor flicks a chip a few feet past and can't make the testing return.

Aberg, who is on in two, can't knock in his birdie putt but it's still a solid enough start.

Justin Rose takes a few breaths before teeing off on the first.

Not an ideal start for the 45-year-old as he drags his tee shot a little wide and into the trees sending a handful of spectators scuttling.

Rose is sandwiched between two Americans in Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka.

Spieth is on the fairway but his compatriot finds a bunker.

Li Haotong is currently the only player to sign for a round that is under par from the early starters.

And he has an eagle on the 15th plus a wonderful birdie after playing out of the tributary to Rae's Creek on the 13th to thank for that.

Peter Scrivener
BBC Sport senior journalist

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Another titanic group of major champions.

Let's start with last year's runner-up - Justin Rose has the unwanted tag of Augusta's nearly man with three second-place finishes but the 45-year-old is a grinder and they say experience counts at this course. Will the 2013 US Open winner come of age in his 21st Masters appearance?

Rose's first runner-up spot was alongside Phil Mickelson in 2015, the year Jordan Spieth announced himself as the brightest new player.

Spieth also won the US Open, finished joint fourth at The Open and second at the US PGA Championship in that stellar year. The 2017 Open champion has not pushed on as many thought he might but the whispers are he may be one to watch again this week.

Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka has three missed cuts in his past five Masters starts, but when he does make the cut he generally goes well, twice being runner-up and a seventh since 2019.

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Shane Lowry passed up a good chance of a three at the always-difficult par-four 11th and sees another birdie bid slip past on 12.

Dustin Johnson is still even but Jason Day rolls in a lovely 16-footer for a two to join Lowry at one under.

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A strong end to the front nine for Rory McIlroy as he backs up his birdie on eight with another on nine after a straight drive - which hasn't always been the case today - and an excellent approach.

He hasn't looked at his best, but he's well placed after nine holes. Just two back.

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Nice birdie for Xander Schauffele on the tough 10th and a nice par too for Bryson DeChambeau after finding himself out of position.

That's almost as good as a birdie as plenty of other players would've dropped a shot there.

But it's Xander who is just creeping into the picture at the top of the leaderboard - just two behind now.

Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent at Augusta National

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To come close to matching the romance of Rory McIlroy's magical Masters then surely the Green Jacket in 2026 has to go to the man beaten in the play-off 12 months ago.

While McIlroy's relief and joy at finally landing the one major to elude him came pouring out on the 18th green, Justin Rose watched on - wondering what might have been.

In the field for this week's 90th Masters there will be no player seeking a first Augusta crown with a better pedigree.

Rose, 45, would be the second oldest winner after Jack Nicklaus - who 40 years ago extended his own records with a sixth win and 18th major - if the wait for a Green Jacket finally ends this Sunday.

Read more analysis about Rose's chances this week

Peter Scrivener
BBC Sport senior journalist

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Nine appearances, nine cuts made. Jon Rahm seems to love Augusta National.

The 2023 champion has had four other top-10 finishes and arrives this week in fine fettle.

He's had one win and three runners-up finishes in five events on the LIV Golf circuit - which has changed to 72-hole tournaments this year - and could be on the verge of settling his differences with the DP World Tour which would make him eligible for next year's Ryder Cup in Ireland.

Let's see if he can bring his form to the major table.

• 17:56 JJ Spaun (US), Maverick McNealy (US), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)
• 18:08 Jon Rahm (Spa), Chris Gotterup (US), Ludvig Aberg (Swe)
• 18:20 Jordan Spieth (US), Justin Rose (Eng), Brooks Koepka (US)
• 18:32 Sepp Straka (Aut), Ben Griffin (US), Justin Thomas (US)
• 18:44 Scottie Scheffler (US), Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Gary Woodland (US)

Image source, Reuters

The 10th is the second hardest hole at Augusta National historically and it's caught out both Tommy Fleetwood and Patrick Reed who both drop shots here with bogeys.

Reed manages to keep his Masters lead but he now has a few players lining up just one shot back.