McIlroy plays his shot from off the green down the hill, it sails past the hole. He will find it difficult to make par here on the par-four 14th.

A worldie of a monster putt from Dustin Johnson - he's got a relatively simple one for par. Brilliant from the world number one.

Justin Rose is on the 13th green, eyeing up an eagle putt from around 25 feet.

He gives it a rattle but he hasn't hit it hard enough. Tap-in birdie though. He's two off the lead.

What is happening with DJ and his drives off the tee? He finds the potpourri on the left before clipping the ball out of trouble. It's still a definite two putt.

McIlroy has to play a lofted iron shot from a similar position - his ball lands beyond the edge. Chip and hopeful run?

England's Tyrrell Hatton came into the Masters in fine form and he's made a solid start at Augusta National with three birdies and two bogeys in his opening 14 holes.

Here he is on the 15th hole, the par five with the water in front of the green. He flies a fairway wood over the pond and it thuds into the green. Looks decent. Hang on! Hang on! The ball suddenly starts moving backwards, catches the slope and there's only one place this is ending up...the ripples tell you everything.

Cruel luck.

Adam Scott is stringing together a solid round. Four birdies and no blemishes on his card through 14. He's made five successive pars. Four to play.

Cantlay's birdie putt at the 13th - the only one of the trio that didn't mess up his tee-shot - makes a break at the wrong time.

McIlroy makes his bogey putt. Is he writing off his Masters hopes already? He can't sleep on this, sadly for him.

Im throws his hand up to his cap in disbelief, his birdie putt stays up on the 12th and he remains at five under. A good chance gone begging there. Playing some lovely golf, though.

A first mistake from Bernhard Langer. He's got 225 yards left on the par-four fifth and can't reach the green.

His chip on is short and stopping well short of the pin. The soft green helps though and stops the ball from running down a slope and further from the hole.

Lengthy par putt to come. It's curling from right-to-left and he borrows to perfection. In the heart. No flicker of emotion on the German's face.

Back to world number three Justin Thomas. He misses another birdie chance on 14, but at least he's not dropping shots.

He'll probably be content if he finishes his first round two off the lead.

It runs past the hole, as expected.

Two feet or so for the bogey.

Johnson saves par after he makes more of his wayward tee-shot.

Image source, Reuters

Frittelli successfully negotiates that tricky two-putt from the fringes to remain at six under, one off the lead. Six to play for the South African.

Such a slow backswing from Sungjae Im, and then bosh... fascinating watch. He zips an iron into the green at the par-three 12th and it thuds into the bentgrass surface and stays put.

Birdie chance incoming...

McIlroy's approach to the green leaves him with 12 feet to make par. Tough ask because he hasn't been putting well.

Justin Rose isn't waiting for the par fives before making his move on the back nine.

A pin-high iron into the par-three 12th, leaves him a 10-footer for birdie. Straight in the middle of the hole. He's only three back.

There are a couple of officials around McIlroy as the player wants to ensure that they are happy with his new-found unobstructed lie.

They are. He plays out of the forest.

Can he still make par?

Dylan Frittelli finds the green at the par-three fourth but watches his ball trickle away on to the fringes - that'll need some oomph. Three-putt territory...

I wonder if Paul Casey is watching everything unfold this morning over his Augusta brekkie or enjoying a well-earned snooze. Frittelli is currently his closest challenger.

Leaderboard

-7 Casey (F*)

-6 Frittelli (12*)

-5 Simpson (F*), Schauffele (F), Thomas (12), Im (10)

-4 Matsuyama (F*), Westwood (F), Oosthuizen (F*), Reed (F*), Woods (F*), Scott (13), Langer (13*), D. Johnson (12)

Selected others:

-3 Rahm (F*), Finau (F*), Rose (11)

-2 DeChambeau (F*), Day (F),

-1 Stenson (F)

E Poulter (F*), Fleetwood (14*)

DJ plays the ball safely out of the red stuff under the trees.

McIlroy hit a provisional but he's found his first ball and it's fair to say it's like he's deep in the middle of the New Forest.