Bryson DeChambeau booms a big draw high and wide left of the sixth green, and nice to hear some throaty shouts of "fore" to warn the patrons.

There's a lot of them down there though and the ball smacks into one, which is ideal for Bryson as the ball bounces back into play and he's able to get up and down to save his par.

Image source, EPA

Kurt Kitayama joins Tommy Fleetwood and Patrick Reed at the top of the leaderboard with his third birdie in four holes.

A great approach leaves him a birdie putt from four feet or so and he duly rolls in.

The 33-year-old finished in a tie for 35th here a couple of years ago and has only once previously ended up in the top 10 at a major - when he was in a tie for fourth at the 2023 US PGA Championship

Image source, Getty Images

Augusta National bans phones and that's got us thinking that maybe that should be the norm at big golf tournaments?

I know, I know I'll get branded as the fun police but isn't it refreshing to see fans, sorry, patrons, watching these golfing stars in action with their eyes and not through a shaky, half-blocked phone camera.

Image source, Getty Images

The videos that they're taking will hardly be keepers anyway will they? And it just makes for a much better experience. But what do you think?

No fancy interactive vote here, keeping in with the theme I'm going old school with the thumbs. Thumbs up for ban the phones or thumbs down for no. Do the right thing people....

Also send us your comments using the Get Involved feedback form.

McIlroy finds the surface at the par-three fourth but must negotiate a hefty ridge from 50 feet away on the lower level of the green.

It's not his greatest effort but he pops in the par putt so no dramas.

A par for Cameron Young but Mason Howell hammers his first putt five feet past the cup and then takes three from there for a double bogey.

Ouch.

Stephen Watson
BBC Sport NI at Augusta National

One of the world's most famous sporting events, the Masters is unique is so many ways.

I spent a bit of time wandering around the grounds here at Augusta National - and here's a few of the rules and regulations the 'patrons' have to abide by.

Sam Burns had dropped a shot on the third, but he's grabbed one back on the eighth to return to two under and that's just a shot off the lead.

Burns is certainly doing one of the main things you have to do at Augusta - score on the par fives - as he's three under on the two longer holes so far after an earlier eagle on two.

Image source, Reuters

Two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal is 39 years older than his playing partner - South Africa's Aldrich Potgieter - but is showing that experience definitely counts around Augusta National.

The 60-year-old Spaniard, who is making his 37th start in this parish, is going along very nicely indeed at two under, while Potgieter is propping up the leaderboard at 11 over, having made three double bogeys and a bogey in the previous six holes.

Image source, Getty Images

As mentioned, no Masters rookie has managed to win the Green Jacket on debut since the late Fuzzy Zoeller managed it in 1979 - but not all Masters debutants are the same.

Yes, there are young, gifted but inexperienced amateurs, but also some seasoned pros in the line-up this year, with a top 10 player in the world, the current FedEx Cup leader and a Ryder Cup man.

Ben Griffin won three times last year and played in the Ryder Cup, Chris Gotterup won the Scottish Open last year, came third in The Open then has won twice this year already.

And Jacob Bridgeman beat Rory McIlroy to win the Genesis Invitational at Riviera - a course linked to doing well at Augusta. Plus the last four Masters champions have all been the current FedEx Cup leader, as he is right now.

Throw in demon putter Harry Hall and the big-hitting Marco Penge among others and it's a star rookie class this year, but can one of them go all the way?

More par-three troubles for Shane Lowry.

After a double bogey on the fourth, he drops another at the sixth after airmailing the green.

It's all gotten a little bit untidy for the 2019 Open champ.

Peter Scrivener
BBC Sport senior journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Not since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 has a rookie won the Masters. Zoeller died in November, at the age of 74, leading Masters chairman Fred Ridley to say on Wednesday: "Fuzzy's love of the game and vibrant personality endeared him to golf fans everywhere. We will miss him."

It would be fitting if a rookie were to win this year. There are 22 of them in the 91-strong field.

England's Marco Penge and Harry Hall are among them. Big-hitting Penge won three DP World Tour events in 2025 to earn a PGA Tour card and he finished fourth at last month's Valspar.

Hall has two top-10s this year and is an excellent putter.

American Jacob Bridgeman could go well - he won the Genesis at Riviera earlier this season and has top-20 finishes in all eight of his events.

Chris Gotterup is also playing well with two wins this year and he was sixth in Houston last week. Showed he has the temperament for majors by finishing third at last year's Open, a week after winning the Scottish Open.

Image source, Reuters

Hmmm, that's not what McIlroy was after.

Fresh from the birdie on two, he pumps his drive at the short par-four third down the left. It's close to the green, but with the angle against him, he overcooks his pitch and leaves himself a rapid putt back across the surface.

Guarding against a dreaded de-green, he comes up short and then leaves his par putt hanging over the lip!

Tommy Fleetwood with a solid par on five after coming up a bit short with his approach and leaving a tough two-putt up and over a hump on the green.

He holds his nerve with "one of those" for his par, but knocks it in and a four is a good score here with the ive already playing half a shot over par for the day.

Kurt Kitayama made birdies on the sixth and seventh to skip to two under, and remains there after a par on the eighth so he's just one back.

The American is making his third Masters start this year.

Image source, Reuters

Xander Schauffele drops a shot at the fourth thanks to a bad three-putt from only about 30 feet away - with his first effort raced beyond the hole and then a tester from five or so feet back down the hill just burning the edge.

Image source, Reuters

Birdie for Rory!

After driving into the pine straw down the right of the par-five second, he pulls his second way left but displays deft touch with his pitch over the bunker, judging the slope and watching as his ball trickles down to three feet.

He knocks it in and moves one under. Cameron Young and Mason Howell both make par.

Stephen Watson
BBC Sport NI at Augusta National

Rory McIlroy, his Grand Slam trophies and the Giant's Causeway.

An iconic image and one that will undoubtedly be hung proudly in not only the household of the McIlroy family but golf fans across the world.

Rory told me about the emotional photo shoot when we spoke earlier this week.

Bryson DeChambeau wasn't about to take that bogey on the last lying down, and the short par-four third is the ideal bounce back opportunity, as he crunches a drive just short of the green, flicks it up the hill to about five feet and rolls in a birdie.

Easy money.

Not for Matt Fitzpatrick though, who sprays a drive wide right after some funky footwork on the tee, then hits a branch trying to escape and can't then get down in two from there as he makes an annoying bogey.

Image source, Getty Images

It's a brilliant start to his 10th Masters for Tommy Fleetwood who follows up a birdie on two with another on the third and completes the hat-trick on the fourth!

That puts him level with playing partner Patrick Reed at the top of the Masters leaderboard on three under.

Oh, Shane!

After those early birdies, the Irishman makes a double bogey five at the fourth after three-putting from three feet! Deary me.

Shake it off, Shane. Plenty of holes left.

This was a great story Rory McIlroy told ahead of The Masters, about seeing the Green Jackets enjoying cocktails at last year's Champions Dinner and not wanting to get out of his car to avoid any awkward eye contact.

It's a dinner invite he's been searching for year after year and each near miss seemed to move it further away, but this year he was at the head of the table after selecting the menu, picking some fine wines and giving a speech.

He finally got that dinner invite - and it's a permanent reservation.