08:58 PM
Will Zalatoris looking good again
Finished tied for second here on debut last year and is a fantastic ball-striker. Has a birdie putt coming up on the 10th to reach three-under. The putts from shorter range can be his nemesis.
08:54 PM
Bogey at the last for Scheffler
Fails to get up and down from the left of the green and has to settle for a round of three-under 69. The World No 1 is right where he needs to be though.
08:54 PM
Frustrating par for McIlroy
Takes three to get down from close to the par five eighth green, and he remains at level par. Needs to stay patient and wait for his chances on the back nine.
On the same hole, Brooks Koepka makes his first birdie of the day to move into red figures.
08:52 PM
Dustin Johnson now four-under!
08:47 PM
Dustin Johnson going ominously well
Three-under for the front side with the wind up this afternoon is a great score. Has two reachable par fives to follow on his back nine.
08:45 PM
Birdie on the 17th for Scottie Scheffler
Cam Smith has company at the top of the leaderboard in the form of the World No 1.
Jon Rahm has birdied the ninth to reach the turn in level par.
08:39 PM
McIlroy burns the edge with a birdie attempt
He is level par after seven holes which is no cause for panic. Any score under 72 this afternoon will be a good effort.
08:29 PM
Woods walks in the par putt to a huge roar
After 508 days without a competitive round, he will sign for a one-under opening 71 at the Masters! That is a more than creditable effort, some will say it’s a huge achievement in its own right.
Niemann alongside him also played really well for a three-under 69. That is impressive considering the circus playing with Woods entails.
08:25 PM
Bogey for Im on the 10th
Cam Smith is now the sole leader at four-under. Difficult to see anyone getting past him with the breeze picking up.
08:22 PM
Woods on the 18th
Caught a break off the tie and had a clear view, and he punched his approach into the goalmouth short of the 18th green. Has a pitch which needs to come up several tiers to the back right pin. Can he give himself the chance to save par?
Goodness me, that is quite brilliant. Goes with plenty of loft, lands it beyond and left of the flag and the side and back spin brings the ball back to within five or six feet.
08:18 PM
Smith makes double bogey at the last!
So the tournament leader started with a double bogey, made eight birdies, and then finished with a double bogey. What a strange round of golf, but it’s another Augusta round in the 60s for the Australian. He leads the Masters at four-under.
08:16 PM
Also having a bad day is DeChambeau
He bogeys the 18th to record a four-over opening round. He said this was a par 67 last year…he starts with a 76.
08:13 PM
Disappointing start from Justin Thomas
I don’t think I have seen him hit a shot on the TV coverage, but the much-fancied American is three-over on the 17th.
08:12 PM
Some quiet starts out there
Rahm, Morikawa, Cantlay and Hovland all one-over on their front nines.
08:10 PM
Woods goes quick left off the 18th
He has hit a few of those with the driver, struggling to transfer weight to his left side and the arms taking over. Can he conjure up one last escape to make a closing par?
08:08 PM
Smith chopped out of the trees on 18
Hie third from 130 yards does not make it up to the back shelf, and he will have 50 feet or so for par. Odds-on a dropped shot to finish with.
08:07 PM
Double bogey finish for Daniel Berger
He tumbles back to one-under and some of his good play is undone. Under par still a good start at Augusta though.
08:04 PM
Some context
Pretty amazing really. Louis came 2nd in five majors last year and here is being comfortably beaten by Tiger who hasn’t played competitively for over 500 days…
— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) April 7, 2022
08:00 PM
Dustin Johnson loitering with intent
The 2020 champion is two-under thru seven which is a sound start. Just needs to get through this difficult stretch around the turn.
Up at the 18th, Cam Smith has lost his drive into the trees on the right. The leader might be about to take a step back to the field.
Woods has made par at the 17th – just that long walk up the hill on 18 remaining for the wounded warrior. A par four would see him sign for an under-par score.
07:52 PM
Just a par four Smith on the 17th
A four there is more than acceptable and he walks to the 18th tee six-under. Back in their fairway, Woods follows up his birdie with a strong drive into the cut and prepared.
07:50 PM
Tiger’s birdie at the 16th
07:46 PM
Daniel Berger putting a good round together
Berger walking to 18th tee at three-under.
07:46 PM
Birdie for Woods
That’s the first putt of any great length Woods has holed, as a curls a birdie putt from 25 feet on the 16th. Woods make into red figures with two holes remaining, which is a very creditable performance.
07:40 PM
Woods producing more solid golf
Played a very good approach from the left of the 15th and left his birdie try just short, before a sound approach to the par three 16th to 20 feet or so.
07:34 PM
Danny Willett reaches the clubhouse
That is a welcome return to form for the 2016 winner who will sign for a three-under 69 on day one.
07:31 PM
Smith converts!
He reaches six-under after his eighth birdie in the last 12 holes! Just needs to finish the job off now with two pars to finish.
07:29 PM
Cam Smith flying at the top of the leaderboard
07:28 PM
Solid start from McIlroy
He is one-under after three holes and was close to a second birdie on the third. On the same score is Jordan Spieth, who has played miraculous pitch from long and left of the fourth. But he misses the short putt to drop back to level par.
07:27 PM
Cam Smith is red hot
Another peach of an iron shot to within five feet or so on the par three 16th. He has that to get to six-under with his eighth birdie of the day!
07:21 PM
Cam Smith rolls in another birdie!
He reaches the uncharted territory of five-under – seven-under for his last 14 holes!
Sungjae Im is one behind him after a fast start of his own. Im is four-under thru seven.
07:20 PM
DeChambeau’s struggles continue
Makes a mess of the par five 15th with a bogey six and he drops back to four-over for his round. This time last year he said this course was like a par 67 to him…
07:15 PM
Bogey for Woods at the 14th
After a fantastic recovery from the pines on the left, Woods takes three to get down from the back edge to fall back to level par.
Up ahead at the 15th, Cam Smith judges his wedge shot from 99 yards wonderfully to set up a birdie putt from 10 feet. That to reach five-under. He was two-over standing on the second tee!
07:13 PM
Cam Smith is leading the Masters and living up to his billing
07:02 PM
Another birdie for Cam Smith
He missed out on the par five 13th but his wedge into the 4th rips back to within a few feet.
Meanwhile, Scheffler has rolled in a birdie putt on the 12th to reach three-under.
06:55 PM
Birdie for Woods at the 13th!
That was a well played hole, he has rediscovered some of his poise. An easy two-putt birdie at the par five to get back into red figures.
06:53 PM
Scottie Scheffler still well placed
Scheffler makes a par four on the 11th and remains at two-under, just managing his ball around Augusta with the minimum of fuss.
06:50 PM
Excellent approach work from Woods
With the ball above his feet on the 13th, he finds the par five in two from just over 200 yards. The soft greens means his ball stays on the left edge and he will have an eagle putt from 25 feet or so.
06:46 PM
Another birdie for Danny Willett
He reached three-under bar after draining an uphill putt for birdie on the 15th. Lowry followed his eagle on the 13th up with a birdie on the par four 14th, to move into red figures.
06:42 PM
McIlroy teeing off on the first
Has slightly pulled his opening drive towards the trees. Much will depend on what kind of avenue he has to the green.
06:40 PM
Woods’ ovation at the 12th
06:38 PM
Woods using all of his experience
The last time he played Augusta’s 12th in competition he made a 10. This time he played for the fat of the green well left of the pin and two-putted for a solid par. Woods walks to the 13th tee at level-par with two par fives to come. Oosthuizen alongside him found Rae’s Creek and made double-bogey.
06:29 PM
Some big names among the later starters
Cantlay, Spieth, Schauffele, Koepka, McIlroy, Hovland and Fitzpatrick are just starting or are about to start their opening rounds.
06:27 PM
Birdie at the 12th for Cam Smith
His putter looks red hot, and a birdie two moves Smith to three-under. Woods’ group about to play that picturesque but dangerous short hole.
06:27 PM
Lowry bouncing back
Been a frustrating day but an eagle at the par five 13th gets him back to level par.
06:26 PM
To the 11th
Niemann with a solid par four to stay at two under. After an impressive drive, Woods’ second shot stalled in the wind. He came up with a very canny bump and run from the front of the green though, to leave five or six feet for par. He pours it in, that is a very satisfying four.
06:18 PM
Sungjae Im off to a flyer
After his father made a hole-in-one in the par three contest, Im has started his Masters with three straight birdies. He is now the sole leader at three-under.
06:05 PM
Scheffler finishes his back nine with two birdies
He moves to two-under at the turn. Scheffler, Cam Smith, Niemann – some of the fancied contenders are starting to gather at the top of the leaderboard.
06:02 PM
Bogey for Niemann at the 10th
He falls back into the group at two-under. Woods feathers in another downhill par putt to remain at the even par. He walks to the 11th, a brutal par four now stretched out to 520 yards.
05:58 PM
Woods escaping the trees on the 9th
05:57 PM
Lee Westwood off to a good start
The Englishman is two-under after four. Not too many groups left to go out.
05:56 PM
To the 10th…
Woods has a testing par putt coming up after being unfortunate to see his second spin back off the front. Looked very good in the air. Niemann lost his second right in the bunker and has short-sighted himself.
05:44 PM
Woods cleans up for par
That was a good par putt back down the hill after a series of poor shots in the last half hour. That might settle him down and get him back to the form of the first seven holes. Level-par 36 for the front nine is a good score, he would have taken that.
05:43 PM
Niemann’s eagle
05:37 PM
Eagle for Niemann on the ninth!
Playing alongside Woods, Niemann jars his wedge after a perfect drive to eagle the par four! He pitched the ball some 30 feet beyond the flag, the backspin brought it back down the slope and the crowd let him know when the ball toppled it.
Niemann now leads the Masters at three-under at the turn.
05:36 PM
Woods’ second to the ninth
Had a clearer view than I first imagined but no angle to a left pin. Tried to draw one in, but did not get enough turn, and his ball rolls back off the front. Still, room to work with with the chip. “F— off,” is Woods’ verdict.
05:33 PM
Cameron Smith has made his move
Back-to-back birdies at the eighth and ninth and the much-fancied Australian with a strong Augusta record has the co-lead at two-under as he walks to the 10th tee.
05:31 PM
Woods looking a little ragged now
Tried to peel a feel off the tree-line on the par four ninth but lost it left. Will have work to do to get his second close to green and give himself a chance of saving par.
05:28 PM
Fast start from Charl Schwartzel
The 2011 winner is two-under thru four.
05:25 PM
Scruffy bogey from Woods
That’s the first sign of Woods struggling. His wedge from around 80 yards on the par five was caught fat, and then his chip was too strong. Missed the putt back for a sloppy six. Back to level par which is still a decent position.
Is it a coincidence those two poor shots came after a steep uphill walk?
05:20 PM
Former champion Danny Willett going well
The 2016 winner, when it was breezy and cool, is one-under after 10 and holed a snaking downhill putt at the ninth.
Scheffler has put his seventh straight par on the scoreboard.
05:04 PM
Another par for Scheffler
Still looking for his first birdie, but no harm done.
Woods with a soft fade with driver on the par five eighth, and he finds the fairway. Don’t think the green is in play in two up the hill.
04:53 PM
Delicious pitch from Woods
Picks it off the turf, adds a little spin, and it settles to within a foot of the hole. The simplest of tap-ins for par and that is a good escape to stay one-under.
Back on the fifth, World No 1 Scottie Scheffler has made his fifth successive par.
04:51 PM
Some tree trouble on seven for Woods
But he manufactures a low cut from the right and leaves his ball short of the bunkers guarding the front of the green. An uphill pitch coming up from there to try and save par.
Playing with Woods, Niemann puts too much spin on a lob wedge and it rips back to the front of the green. He is also going well at one-under par.
04:44 PM
You can hear the grasp of the crowd
04:42 PM
Woods birdie!
One-under thru six is a superb start all things considered, even if the greens are receptive. Oosthuizen holed a tram-liner from the bottom level on the same hole to bounce back to one-over.
04:36 PM
What an approach from Woods at the par three sixth!
He is really warming to his task now, the last three irons shots have been all over the target. His eyes were following that one all the way to the back right flag and it comes to rest a few feet short of the hole. Great chance to open his birdie account.
04:28 PM
Woods so close to his first birdie of the day!
Put a great stroke on his birdie putt and it looked in all the way, but it lipped out. Woods has not birdied Augusta’s fifth since 2005, would you believe. Still, another par.
04:21 PM
Terrific approach from Woods at the fifth
That was the boldest shot he has hit so far, perhaps unintentionally, as he turns a five-iron on the wind from right to left to get to a tight left pin. His ball releases down a slight slope but will be 15 feet or so for birdie on this tough hole.
04:20 PM
Cameron Smith chips in for birdie at the 5th
The Australian shot four rounds in the 60s last year and is the Players Champion, but he double-bogeyed the first. Holing his third at the fifth gets him back to one-over.
04:09 PM
Par for Woods on the fourth
Left himself a tricky par putt through his shadow, but knocks it in with no bother. All very sound and drama free for Woods so far. Alongside him, Niemann has made back-to-back birdies to move to one-under.
04:04 PM
Very solid tee shot from Woods on the par three fourth
Was tracking the flag all the way from the elevated tee but it came up a tad short into the breeze. Catches the front fringe though, around 25 feet or so from the hole.
04:01 PM
Shane Lowry almost had a hole-in-one on the fourth
But his tee shot ricocheted off the pin. No luck of the Irish for Lowry who did clean up and make par. He is currently one-over thru five holes.
03:57 PM
Par at the third for Woods
Three pars to begin with, and nobody is moving too far from him so far. The scoring looks quite testing. Woods is about to enter a tough stretch of the course: from the fourth tee to the 13th tee is where you try and hang on. There are birdies to be found on the turn home.
03:53 PM
Wonderful tee shot on the second from Finau
Probably against his natural shape. This is why people talk about the importance of moving the ball from right to left at Augusta:
03:50 PM
Woods on the third
Found the fairway with an iron for safety on the short par four, but his second with wedge stalled in the wind slightly and the spin took it off the front edge. Not in bad shape, only 15 feet or so from the hole.
03:47 PM
Bryson DeChambeau with a birdie at the third
Solid start for him after his recent injury problems. He walks to the fourth tee one-under par.
03:45 PM
Gary Player facing criticism
Three-time champion Gary Player has courted controversy by wearing a Saudi-branded sweater at the ceremonial start. Tom Cary reports.
03:42 PM
Scheffler pars the first
His iron shot from sand caught a piece of the right edge, and he safely two-putted for a four. Solid start from the World No 1.
03:42 PM
Just a par for Woods at the second
Hit a sensible pitch to leave himself an uphill putt from around 15 to 20 feet and the birdie try just misses left. Decent effort, and that’s a par-par start. Woods would not normally be happy to par one of the par fives, but it’s acceptable in the circumstances.
03:33 PM
The World No 1 Scottie Scheffler is under way
He is playing alongside Adam Scott and Tony Finau. Scheffler has found the bunker right of the first fairway.
Over at the second, Woods hits a solid second with fairway wood out to the right of the green to leave himself a pitch up the green. Possible chance for a first birdie of the week.
03:28 PM
Tommy Fleetwood has birdied the second
The Englishman is now one-under and off to a solid start. Shane Lowry has bogeyed the third and now enters a difficult stretch of the course one-under.
03:25 PM
To the second hole
Woods with a conservative play – three wood took the bunker on the corner of the dog leg out of play, he did not even try to draw a driver over the crest of the hill. Will be playing the par five as a three-shotter, just trying to tip-toe his way around.
03:24 PM
The sun is out at Augusta and Tiger is back
03:20 PM
Great par save from Woods on the first!
His pitch up and over the humps and hollows in the first green came to rest 10 or 12 feet short, but walked in the par putt with confidence. That should settle him down with a par five to follow. Par for Oosthuizen and bogey for Niemann.
03:12 PM
Woods with a good break
His drive, which only travelled 264 yards, settled to the right of the bunker. Has a clear view and a decent line to the back right pin, but will need a little fade.
Comes up a shy, and it rolls back off the front edge of the green. Popped up too high from a slight uphill lie. Work to do to save par.
03:08 PM
Confirmed: Paul Casey has withdrawn
Back problems have put an end to his Masters week.
03:07 PM
Woods heading right on the first
It looked like he got ahead of that one and leaked it out to the right. Heading towards sand, but may have just evaded the bunker.
03:05 PM
Tiger Woods on the first tee
The crowd are ten deep up there. Alongside Niemann and Oosthuizen, who have solid prospects of their own. Oosthuizen in particular has some good finishes are here. After a few stretches to keep his back and neck loose, it looks like Woods is ready to go. Has driver in his hand, which is a positive move. This 450-yard par four first is sneakily tough, if you play it in 16 for the week you gain shots on the field.
02:56 PM
Harrington has birdied the 8th
That moves the former Europe Ryder Cup captain back into red figures. Harry Higgs, Italian Guido Migliozzi and Min Woo Lee are the three players at two-under.
02:51 PM
It seems as if Paul Casey has withdrawn
His name is no longer alongside Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith on the starting sheet. Casey has been suffering with back spasms recently.
02:49 PM
An insight into Augusta
Telegraph Sport columnist Justin Rose has the inside track on what it takes to tackle Augusta’s beguiling test of golf.
02:48 PM
Tiger Woods on the range
Butch Harmon noting how he cannot unwind from the top has ferociously as he used to – will need to rely more on his hands and timing to square the club face. I had a look at how Woods’ injuries and his new bulky frame have changed his action here.
02:40 PM
Shane Lowry about to start his first round
The 2019 Open Champion is well-fancied to go well in the breeze this week and his magical short game suits Augusta.
02:36 PM
Padraig Harrington one-under thru six
He has just holed a snaking putt for par up the hill to the back right pin on the sixth. A number of players will face that putt up an enormous slope.
02:23 PM
Tiger Woods is going through his paces on the putting green
Wearing a black jumper over a pink shirt. A little more than 40 minutes until he is due to start. When he won here three years ago it was hot and humid which helped his back stay loose, not sure he will appreciate these cooler conditions. The good news for the morning starters is that the wind is expected to kick up this afternoon.
02:15 PM
The honorary tee shots this morning
Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and newcomer Tom Watson have played their ceremonial tee shots and opened this year’s Masters.
And they brought a bit of humor to the proceedings. You’ll be surprised to hear it was about press-ups…
Player, the three-time Masters champion who has long been an advocate of physical fitness, was first to play. And Watson, part of the ceremony for the first time, couldn’t resist having a little fun with Player as he headed to the tee.
“Is he going to do a push-up?” Watson asked.
Player responded: “I did while you were asleep this morning.”
Nicklaus, the six-time champion, was next to play, quipping that he would be surprised if he could put the tee in the ground without falling over. “Yes! It was successful,” he said, drawing more laughter.
02:04 PM
All eyes on Tiger Woods – what can we realistically expect?
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the first round of the 2022 Masters at a rainy Augusta National.
Gary Player fired the ceremonial first tee shot to open a fascinating Masters on Thursday as crowds swarmed to see headliner Tiger Woods make another comeback.
The last of overnight storms delayed the ceremonial start 30 minutes with Player followed to the first tee by 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson, who stepped into the honorary starter role left vacant by the passing of Lee Elder, the first Black man to compete in the Masters.
But the dreary weather could not dampen the buzz or expectations, as golf fans lucky enough to have secured one of sport’s most coveted tickets moved quickly to stake out their places around some of the sport’s most famous holes and wait for the man of the moment, Woods to appear.
Anticipation around the year’s first major has soared since Woods on Tuesday announced he not only planned to play the Masters, but believes he could win a sixth Green Jacket just 14 months after doctors considered the possibility of having to amputate his right leg.
The Masters officially begins with Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal first off at 1.30pm but for most of the spectators and millions watching on television it will not start until Woods steps onto the tee.
Woods who partners South African Louis Oosthuizen and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann is scheduled to tee off at 4.04pm.
After two years of COVID-19 restrictions limiting the number of spectators, it seemed like old times at Augusta National as massive galleries washed over the course.
While the focus is on Woods there will be a galaxy of golfing stars for patrons to choose to follow, including betting favourite Spaniard Jon Rahm and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, who again will seek to complete the career Grand Slam with a Masters win