A little update on MacIntyre.

After managing a par at the par-four seventh, he misses a tiddler for birdie at the par-five eighth!

Gutting. He stays one under.

Right, it's time for Rory to begin his eighth crack at landing this pesky career Grand Slam.

McIlroy - who's donning a Tiger-esque pink top today - slumped to an opening 76 last year, but he's off to a lucky start here as his drive takes a fortuitous bounce off the trees and on to the short stuff. He'll take that!

Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka and England's Matt Fitzpatrick, his playing partners for the first two rounds, also find the fairway.

Dustin Johnson moving in the right direction with a fine, long bunker shot from the right of the par-five second setting up a birdie.

Fellow American Billy Horschel makes it a birdie-birdie start to sit just one off the lead.

Tyrrell Hatton is leading this English trio thanks to his birdie at the second hole - something all three of them managed.

Westwood has bogeyed the fifth and sixth to drop to level par and Rose remains at two over.

This for a share of the lead then.

Joaquin Niemann has a 21-foot putt for a birdie but doesn't go gung-ho. Another hole, another par.

Though questions were raised about whether his lack of experience would limit his impact this week, the 23-year-old Chilean is showing he is a quick learner.

And he's not looking overawed by being a support act in the Tiger Show.

No danger of Oosthuizen ending up in double figures like Woods did two years ago.

The South African goes far back in the drop zone with his third, allowing him to knock his ball long and spin it back towards the hole.

After a couple of pars Cameron Smith is back on the birdie trail after landing his approach into the 12th 11 feet from the cup.

Bryson DeChambeau also gets a look at birdie from just further out but no cigar. His ninth par of the day.

Safety first for Tiger Woods. Aiming for the left of the green - the widest part - he finds his target.

While not as conservative as Woods, Joaquin Niemann doesn't take too many risks either. He goes on a tighter line but has enough club to leave him with no concerns.

Hmm, not so comfortable for poor Louis Oosthuizen. A short tee-shot hits that slope at the back of Rae's Creek and ends slipping up in the drink.

It's a sparkling start by Im Sung-jae who kicks-off his event with three straight birdies and at three under he's got a share of the lead already.

Im finished second in 2020 in the November Masters won by Dustin Johnson, so knows what it takes to go close at Augusta.

Image source, Getty Images

Rory McIlroy has six top-10 finishes in the past eight Masters, but missed the cut at last year's event.

The lowest point of a tough 2021 season saw McIlroy break down in tears at the Ryder Cup following his struggles during Europe's defeat, before a victory at the CJ Cup in October boosted his belief and gave a much-needed "breakthrough".

Now ranked ninth in the world, McIlroy is aiming for his first win of the 2022 season after recording two top-10 finishes from the six events he has played.

Last week he missed the cut at the Valero Texas Open, but claims an early exit following rounds of 72 and 73 ended up being "beneficial".

"You always learn more from disappointments or times when you don't play so well, so it wasn't a bad cut to miss," he said.

"I did two really good days of work at home and felt a lot better about where things were heading up here on Sunday."

Tommy Fleetwood's round looks to be unravelling.

Fleetwood goes miles left and long on the par-three 12th to find the flower banking. From the slope and a really awkward-looking stance he then gets a touch unlucky with his ball hitting the bump leading to the green and diverting left.

Another foot and he'd have been on the dance floor. As it is he does well to salvage a bogey.

Kevin Kisner joins him largely due to finding the back bunker but that's a very nice two for Daniel Berger.

Incredible noise as Woods struts onto the 12th tee. The galleries are packed, a sea of beaming faces greeting the five-time champ.

Will Golden Bell be as welcoming? Rae's Creek is always ready to snap its jaw.

Remember the last time Woods played this hole? You do. And so does he. In 2020, he walked off with a 10 (TEN).

A real mixed bag for the 19:00 starters on the first - Open champion Collin Morikawa dropped a shot, 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson parred it and the third member of the group, Billy Horschel, is up and running with a birdie three.

Finau's out of position on 10 and is forced to swerve his approach around the trees. Oh, it's a cracking effort and it flies straight over the flag to leave himself with a birdie putt.

It's a lengthy one down the hill, however, and he's content with snapping up his par.

Scheffler has 206 yards from the fairway. Clips it to 33 feet, and while his first putt is timid, he rolls the par attempt in to remain two under.

It's more bad news for Scott, though. Despite having a good angle from the left side of the fairway, he finds the sand and can't get up and down.

That's an unforced error from the 2013 champion and he slips back to one over.

Niemann takes a brief check on his second into the 11th green when his caddie steps in with some last-second advice.

Not sure what it was. The Chilean is still way short of the pin. But he's on the dancefloor and a beautifully-judged putt leaves him tapping in for a par.

Oosthuizen's second goes right and his third goes past the hole. Another hole, another bogey.

Woods is left with a five-foot putt, on a similar line to Louis, for his par. Canned it.

Will this finally be the year for Rory McIlroy?

After becoming a father for the first time in August 2020, Rory McIlroy hopes being in "a different stage of life" can finally bring victory at the Masters and complete the career Grand Slam.

The 32-year-old Northern Irishman needs a win at Augusta to become only the sixth man to capture Masters, Open, US Open and US PGA Championship titles.

But he has not claimed victory at one of the four majors since 2014.

"Back then I would feel unfulfilled if I didn't win a major. I'd say there is a bit less pressure now," he said.

"I'm maybe at a different stage in my life now, whereas back then golf was everything. Obviously it's still very, very important. But there is certainly less pressure than there was then."

Image source, Reuters

Tommy Fleetwood's start to Amen Corner is not going well.

The Englishman finds the pond down the left with his second and sends his bogey putt 10 feet past. Ouch.

Daniel Berger also takes a bogey after struggling from the right. Has he not watched Larry Mize's chip from 1987?

Kevin Kisner clearly has, chasing his second in down the right and then superbly chipping in.

Lee Westwood hands a shot back as he fires his approach shot flying through the green on the fifth and into the big bunker off the back.

From there it's a tough up-and-down after Westwood comes up way short from the sand and can only two-putt for a five.

Tick, tock. Tiger is made to wait again for the group in front, this time to clear off the 11th green.

Time for some more back stretches. Eventually Woods gets the green light and his second shot on the monster par four is short.

Then, showing his newer, more chilled vibe, breaks out into a beaming smile as he shares as joke with caddie Joe LaCava.

Iain Carter
Commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

Those greens are soft but no-one is tearing up the Augusta National.

Tiger Woods - I've been very impressed. One birdie, one bogey but otherwise a lot of really good stuff. He can't crouch down and read the putts like he used to - but he's prowling like he used to.