Masters 2023 Round One LIVE: Tee times and updates as Tiger Woods and Rory Mcllroy feature

As Spieth and Co. head to the clubhouse, our coverage of Day One of the Masters comes to an end on a golden Augusta. 

The leaderboard is dripping in quality with Brooks Koepka joining Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm atop the leaderboard with every chance of delivering an upset to the traditionalists come Sunday. 

Sitting two shot back are Cameron Young and Jason Day at five-under, while defending champion Scottie Scheffler heads the hunting pack at four-under. 

The Texan is joined by perhaps the most romantic story of the day in Sam Bennett, the amateur who shot a bogey-free round on his Masters debut. 

But it was no fairytale for Tiger Woods who toiled over the slopes of Augusta to collapse to a two-over opening round at his 25th appearance at the tournament. 

We'll be back on Friday with all the action and updates from Day Two of The Masters. 

Spieth wraps up his round - and Day One of The Masters - with a par. A steady ending for box office day for the American, who carded seven birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey to sign for a three-under first round. 

He's joined by playing partner Tony Finau at three-under, while Englishman Tommy Fleetwood has had a quiet round in comparison, finishing the day at level par.

Well, the birdie isn't happening for Rory. And he's actually left with a long putt up the hill to save his par on 18 and finish the day level par. 

Not that you'd know it from his score but he had five birdies today, just too many mistakes to accompany them. 

A rollercoaster of a round for Rory - once again. 

Scottie finishes with somewhat of a whimper. Yet another birdie chance slips by him, as his eight-footer starts out left and stays left. 

But the Texan's title defense is under no threat just yet. He rolls in at four-under and if he can get the putter firing, he could easily be on track to become the first to go back-to-back at Augusta since Tiger Woods in 2002. 

Meanwhile, Bennett clinches a bogey-free 68 to match Scheffler as he comes up clutch on 18. Not bad for an amateur, not bad at all. 

...the answer is no. Rory cannot turn his round around. 

Two steps forward, one step back for McIlroy as he follows up two birdies with a wayward shot on 17. 

He has not been able to scramble his way out of the error, as he digs a shot under the trees into the front bunker, before missing the par putt. 

And he's back to needing a birdie on 18 to finish the day under par. 

Brilliant tee shot on the par-three 16th gives McIlroy a great look at birdie. He putts it to perfection down the slope and it just dies into the hole with its last role.

That's back-to-back birdies now and he finally drops into the red numbers! Can he squeeze a couple more in over the last two hole to well and truly turn his round around? 

Disbelief for Kim!

He plays out of the greenside bunker but watches in horror as the ball stops, then starts to trickle down the slope and goes all the way off the green and into the water.

He is disgusted with himself. He can't stop shaking his head and slipping his club around before looking to McIlroy is exasperation. 

He heads back across the water to the drop zone, then hit a chip over the drink again and two putts for a double-bogey seven.

Meanwhile, things are looking up for McIlroy, who had been plodding along in another underwhelming opening Masters round, as he sinks a birdie to get back to level par. 

Sam Burns, quietly going about his business in this group, has got himself into a comfortable position at five-under. 

Scheffler can't find the right bit of slope to get his ball moving back towards the flag, unlike Max Homa who is already about eight feet away.

Sam Bennett is last up and he flies his tee shot in, which rests between Homa and Scheffler's. If you didn't know, you'd never he guess he was an amateur. The 23-year-old fits in seamlessly alongside the the World No. 1. 

But all three miss their birdie chances, Scheffler and Bennett on the low side and Homa going high. But three out of three pars and they move on to 17. 

Oh, Jordan. It may be hot but there's no need to take a dip to cool down. 

He is in full attack mode, and it's not really paying off. Even though he's already been in the water on 11 and he finds himself in the pine on 13, he still decides to go for it. 

And of course, it falls flat and ends up in the creek. He drops back to one-under. 

Scheffler makes birdie... but he's not happy about it!

Another wonderful approach shot really deserved an eagle on 13 but it glances past the left edge of the hole. 

And Scottie can't believe it! He just keeps staring at his fall in pure fury. 

A birdie will do though! It keeps him in it, four shots off the lead and five holes left to play. 

Jordan Spieth has played some spectacular golf today but it's abandoned him on 11. 

The 2015 champion tried to play the perfect iron shot at the flag but overcooks his approach and it makes a splash. 

That must be a mental error as there was no need to be that aggressive with the pin position today.

Amateur Sam Bennett is showing the defending champion his way around Augusta National. 

The 23-year-old is four-under after opening birdie-eagle and has just saved par from the back of the 12th. 

Meanwhile, Scheffler has just missed a huge birdie chance with the ball not even getting a look in at the hole. The World No. 1 sits two shots of his amateur playing partner. 

Koepka is hoisting the LIV colors at Augusta. 

He's leading Greg Norman's band of merry men and is within one of Rahm and Hovland. 

He is clearly carrying momentum from his win in Orlando last week and has just picked up another shot on the 17th with a decent 25-footer across the green at 17. 

And he knocks in another on 18 to head into the clubhouse in a three-way tie for the lead along with the two Europeans. 

The four-time major winner hit his approach purposefully long to allow the ball to stop on the slope behind the hole and drift back down towards it and pinged it to within 10 feet. 

He recently bemoaned his lack of major contention in the Netflix docuseries, Full Swing, but that could be changing. Turn that frown upside down Brooks!

There's been a brief spell of rain but the umbrellas have been packed away again as the storms don't seem to be rolling in just yet. 

But the same can't be said for the rest of the weekend as tomorrow still sees thunderstorms on the forecast and rain for Saturday.

A towering iron shot into the 10th from Rory McIlroy comes up just short but he's left with an uphill putt which he can attack. 

And attack he does. He sinks it to get back to even par. Don't count him out just yet. 

Brooks Kopeka is making Greg Norman proud. 

Off the back of his win last weekend, the LIV Golf star almost scoops up some Augusta crystal on 15 as he fires his second into the green, giving himself a good look at an eagle. 

He's got about a 25-footer across a slope. He doesn't set his ball off far enough to the left though.

But he isn't missing the birdie chance though and it drops confidently into the hole to see him move to five-under. 

McIlroy almost gets himself back to level par with an eagle on the eighth as he slides a putt from range just wide of the hole. 

No matter, he'll take the birdie after the disastrous double-bogey six. It steadies the ship, just keep scrambling Rory!

The thunderstorms could be incoming as on the right hand side of the score board the words 'weather warning' have popped up. 

A very slimmed down Phil Mickelson is out on the course and is enjoying his Masters return after his notable absence last year. 

The three-time champion flied it straight at the pin on 12 to se up an easy, makeable birdie chance. 

The lefty wastes little time and knocks the putt in to get into the red. 

'That was fun especially playing with Tiger for the first time and going out there and shoot a bogey-free round and make five birdies and an eagle,' co-leader Hovland has told British broadcaster Sky Sports. 

'It was a little bit soft out there and there are some gettable pins. You hit a lot of good iron shots and you can make some birdies but at the same time you miss those spots and you are dead. When I did I managed to somehow escape with a par.

'I hit it really well on the front nine but on the back nine I hit some squirrelly shots but I managed to lean on my short game and held it together. That's what it's all about at major championships.

'It is not rocket science, if you don't hit the shots it will [the course] punish you.'

Rory gonna Rory, I guess. 

Once again McIlroy is far from a perfect start to The Masters. The Northern Irishman, chasing his first Green Jacket, appears to be playing himself out of contention in the opening round... once again. 

He hits three shots into a tree, the fans and then a bunker, before playing a nice shot from the sand but misses the bogey putt and it's a double-bogey six, leaving him two-over thru seven. 

A round of 65 from an opening double bogey? Simply sensational Señor Jon Rahm.

To go nine under for 17 holes after a four-putt is a remarkable comeback for the Spaniard and a final birdie on the 18th sees him stroll into the clubhouse to join Viktor Hovland atop the leaderboard. 

Just imagine what he could do if he doesn't bogey the first tomorrow!

Hovland ends up sandy off he tee and with his second on 18 but once again he scrambles to perfection.

His third from the right hand side bunker sees him aim right out of the sand and splash out onto the green running his ball down the slope to eight feet. 

It's a pretty good result from where he was and he sinks the clutch putt to save par and walk off the 18th as the leader at seven-under. He's five for five in scrambling on of the hardest courses, not an easy feat.

Meanwhile, this grouping goes from one end of the spectrum to the other. 

Woods plays his second from right next to a fairway bunker on the 18th and has to place his right foot in the sand for balance. He's left hopping on his left foot in the sand, holding his injured right foot in the air. 

He ends up in the greenside bunker and has a par putt from 22 feet. He goes at his firmly but slides right on past. It's a bogey finish and a day at Augusta to forget for Woods. 

-7 Hovland

-4 Schauffele

+2 Woods

Now that's more like it!

Tiger has made a couple of iconic 2s on 16 in his time and he adds another to the pack now. 

Fresh from his birdie on 15, Woods zips his tee shot over the water at 16 to within eight feet on the hole before dropping his putt for another birdies.

Lowry wraps up a lovely round by rattling in a long birdie putt on 18 to card a 68. 

The Irishman finished third last year and is now tied-fourth at four-under and clubhouse leader in his eighth Masters. 

Not only has Tiger sunk his first birdie of his round but so had close pal Rory McIlroy!

McIlroy picks up a shot at the second, as does Tom Kim, but the best of the trio is Sam Burns, who has gone birdie-eagle to quickly move to three-under.

Meanwhile, back in Woods's group Schauffele is catching playing partner and leader Hovland. The American finds the 15th green in two and comes away with his third birdie in four holes.

Cheep, cheep, cheep! Tiger finally hears the chirping around Augusta!

Finally, Woods finds the perfect pace and the perfect read on the dancefloor for his first birdie of the 87th Masters. 

Hopefully this give him the momentum he needs to head into tomorrow and make the cut. 

Sam Bennett, an amateur in name alone. 

He opens his Masters debut with a birdie and follows it up with an eagle on two to sit three-under and tied third. Time to get the crystal glasses out again.

What a start!

Brooks Koepka has surged up the leaderboard off the back of a win at LIV Golf Orlando last weekend. 

He's brought the winning form from the rebel tour to Augusta as birdies on the second and third, and seventh and eighth rocket him up into second. 

Fan favorite Rory McIlroy continues his long-running quest for the career Grand Slam and his first Green Jacket this week and he gets it off to a decent start. 

The Northern Irishman muscles his drive through the fairway but when he then bails out right, he shows a lovely touch to send his chip close enough to escape with a par save. 

However, his playing partners show him up as Tom Kim and Sam Burns both make birdie. 

After sinking another birdie on 11, Hovland is eyeing up an eagle putt that comes up short but he taps in for another birdie. He's seven-under and simply flying. 

This is his fourth Masters appearance and has not recorded a score in the 60s at Augusta National in his 12 prior rounds.

But at this rate he could be on trackfor a 64 or 65. 

Scottie Scheffler is fittingly in green and he kickstarts his defense. 

The unflappable Texan steps on to the tee and rips it down the middle of the first fairway. Could he be the first player since Tiger in 2002 to go back-to-back at Augusta? 

The American would become just the fourth player to win the title in successive years, emulating Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Woods.

But he said: 'Legacy at the end of this is not really why I play. Legacy is a complicated thing. In 100 years I'm going to be forgotten and it's not a big deal.'

'Any time you can get mentioned in the same breath as a Tiger and a Jack and a Nick Faldo is really special, but it's not a motivating factor for me to come out here and play,' Scheffler added.

'It's so special and cool when it happens, but it doesn't motivate me. I'm just trying to come out here and do my best and play good golf and have fun.'

Scheffler arrives at Augusta National in great form, having won twice on the PGA Tour, including last month's prestigious Players Championship.

The 26-year-old finished three strokes clear of Rory McIlroy 12 months ago and has been talked up by Woods as having the credentials and tools to repeat that success.

Tiger seems torn between looking bemused or exasperated. 

His second into the 11th catches a bump right of the green and sends his ball scooting away into no man's land.

He has an awkward, horrible shot into the green that sees him try to loft his ball over a huge bunker on to the green but he just catches the edge and drops back into the sand.

It's another bogey for the five-time champ...

Fred Couple has a Green Jacket that' been hanging in his closet since before leader Hovland was even born. 

But the 1992 winner is showing these whippersnappers how it is done on the back nine.

The 63-year-old sinks a run of birdies on 12, 13, 15 and 17 to drop to two-under at tied fourth. 

Will Zalatoris, who came close in 2021 before being edged out by Hideki Matsuyama, has withdrawn due to injury before starting his first round. 

Viktor Hovland, stop it! That is simply outrageous!

He would be in a decent spot normally but with the ball well above his feet he adjusts a little too much and pitches his ball well out right as he goes for the 10th green.

 He's left with a near impossible pitch over the bunkr on to the dancefloor. 

And I say near impossible, because not only does he pull it off but does so sensationally. 

He gives his ball plenty of air and sees it flop over the sand on to the green. It's perfectly judge leaving him with a routine putt for an incredible par save. 

Take. A. Bow. 

Cameron Young and Shane Lowry have dropped back but they're not out of the mix yet. 

Meanwhile, Rahm has bounced back with flair to find himself just two shots off Hovland's lead as the Norwegian starts off his back nine with an incredible par save to maintain his five-under lead. 

-5 V Hovland (10)

-3 J Rahm (8)

-2 A Meronk (14) S Lowry (11), X Schauffele (9), A Scott (8), C Young (8), B Koepka (3)

What nightmare start??

The Spaniard has had a sensational comeback after his double bogey sixth on the first. A stellar approach shot at the par-five eighth sets up a routine putt for eagle and all of a sudden finds himself with reach of Hovland at the top. 

That double bogey seems a long time a go now and Rahm will be taking a nice pair of crystal glasses home to Kelly.  

After pulling one back on eight with the exquisite chip shot, Woods pars the ninth to had to ten at two-over. 

Meanwhile, Viktor Hovland looks unstoppable. He holes his first ever birdie on nine of his Masters career to pull three shots ahead after a dropped shot from Lowry. 

Hovland's gamble over the trees also pays off as he rolls into the outright lead. 

Despite going left, the 25-year-old has a clear sight of the green and flag as he clips on to around 12 feet, before draining the putt to move to four-under. 

The Norwegian was in contention at The Open in the final grouping alongside Rory McIlroy on the Sunday, could he play his way into the mix at another major? 

That's more like it! Tiger is back on the prowl. 

At first it seems the icon has gone awry as both he and Hovland make the odd decision to cut some distance off the eighth by whipping their approaches over the trees but appear to have gone too far left. 

Woods can barely see the flag on the eighth with a huge grass banking in front of him.

But Woods gets out of trouble as he finds the green with a finely-tuned chip shot. 

He almost jarred the eagle on eight but is left with the tap in for birdie and that's all he needs to pull one back as he heads to the final hole on the front nine. 

The Irishman is on a roll! He makes a hattrick of birdies to wrap up his front nine on three under and atop the leaderboard alongside 2021 Ryder Cup teammate Viktor Hovland.

Superb burst from Lowry.  

Hovland and Young still atop the leaderboard at three-under but they have Lowry and Scott hot on their heels. 

There's a pack of ten two shots back at one-under, including LIV players Cameron Smith and Sergio Garcia. Could a rebel be slipping into the Green Jacket come Sunday? 

- 3 V Hovland (7), C Young (5)

-2 S Lowry (8), A Scott (6)

-1 10 players inc. S Garcia (10), X Schauffele (7), J Thomas (5), H Matsuyama (4), C Smith (4)

His swing is looking good and he doesn't appear to be struggling to much with the leg but he had not got the pace of these greens today. 

Hovland gets his birdie chance to within gimme range but Woods's sails five feet past and the five-time winner MISSES the par chance, three putting to groans from the flock of patrons following him around the course. 

The Norwegian is leaving Woods and Schauffele behind as he rolls in a 12-foot putt for a birdie on six after having the advantage of watching Schauffele's on a similar line. 

Just before Woods had a similar length look down the rapid slope and prods at it tentatively but somehow manages to leave it inches short. Par for Tiger. 

Canadian Mike Weir has wrapped up his opening round, cruising round Augusta National in just under four hours after playing partner Kevin Na withdrew after nine. 

After playing the back nine solo, the 2003 champion taps in on 18 for a par and signs for a level-par 72 and is the first player back at the clubhouse. 

Cameron Young opens with three consecutive birdies and snatches a solo lead at three-under. 

The marquee grouping of Young, Rahm and Justin Thomas all have a go at the third with hefty drives leaving just little chips up onto the green, which they all manage easily enough and then all knock in short birdie putts.

It gets Rahm back to level par after a nightmare start, opens Thomas's birdie account and more important hands Young the Masters outright lead.

Schauffele brilliantly saves his sinking in a 10-footer but Tiger Woods drops another shot.

After watching Hovland's lightning quick putt down the slope for birdie glide past, Woods still decides to be aggressive. 

He hammers his putt at the hole to see it lip round the cup and trickle down another two or three feet. 

He still has a reasonable length putt back up for bogey but makes it. Another bogey five and he's two-over thru five. 

Xander Schauffele has joined playing partner Viktor Hovland in a share of the lead after setting up a birdie on the fourth by hitting his tee shot to three feet. 

The youngsters are in good company as their joined by two former champions Adam Scott and Sergio Garcia with the Fab Four sitting atop the leaderboard at two-under. 

Meanwhile, debutant Meronk, who had been among the leading group drops back after lagging a part putt from the fringe of the ninth green. 

Oh Bubba... his start is almost as bad as his Champions Dinner menu. 

The LIV Golf lefty is three over thru six after opening with a bogey on the first, another on four followed by a double on five. 

He's managed to pull it back with a two on the par-three sixth but he's got to hustle to get it back on track. 

Rory McIlroy's lesser known compatriot Matt McClean needs more than a prayer at Amen Corner. 

The Northern Irish amateur, an optomoterist by trade, has stormed into the lead early doors with two birdies in his first four holes. 

But his round took a turn for the worst with a bogey on the fifth and a double on the seventh, before dropping another on the 11th. 

Woods is left grinding for par on three after leaving his second shot 20 yards short of the green. 

With an eight-foot putt left for par, the five-time winner has a shocking miss as the ball didn't even scare the hole, leaving him with a bogey five. 

With the weather set to take a turn later in the week, it wasn't the hot start he was looking for. He does NOT look happy. 

The World No. 3 will be hoping to join his fellow Spaniards, Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia among the winning ranks at Augusta but he couldn't have gotten off to a worse start. 

He four putts on the first green to start his Masters bid with a double bogey six!

He blows his long birdie putt beyond the hole, misses the return but then even misses a tiddler for bogey.

Awful start for one of the pre-tournament favorites. Advantage McIlroy and Scheffler. 

Viktor Hovland, take a bow! Playing with Tiger Woods clearly has an effect.

Hovland makes an eagle on the second to storm into a share of the lead at two-under alongside Meronk. 

It's the fourth eagle at the Masters for the Norwegian and he's doing it in, erm, style? 

The 25-year-old is porting a rather colorful Lindeberg strip with bright pink and green flowers splashed all over the top, presumably in tribute to the famous azaleas that adorn Augusta National. 

Kevin Na has withdrawn due to illness after completing nine holes. 

The American was in the first group out alongside Mike Weir with the former champion now left to play the back nine as a single. 

Adrian Meronk has rolled into a one-shot lead at two-under on his Masters debut thru seven. 

Meronk is the first player to represent Poland at Augusta National. 

Schauffele, Hovland and Woods all find the center right of the green with their approaches with 30-odd yard putts left. Greens are likely to still be slow at this time of the morning in Georgia. 

And all three pull up slightly short. Tiger is left with a five-footer which he walks in with confidence for an opening par. 

There's only one place you'd want to be at on Augusta National right now...

The patrons in their hundreds have flooded to the first tee to get a glimpse of the great as Woods gets his tournament underway at the 87th Masters. 

His first shot in his quest for No. 6 to tie with Jack Nicklaus is a stripe down the middle of the first fairway. 

He can't do it again, can he? 

Woods defied the odds in 2019 to make the comeback of all comebacks, winning his fifth Green Jacket after back fusion surgery. 

He did it again last year coming back from a near fatal car crash that nearly cost him his leg, grinding out four rounds. 

He  has looked more comfortable this year but the slopes of Augusta will put his his surgically reconstructed leg to the test in one of the most taxing walks in the world of golf. 

Good morning or afternoon to wherever you are in the world! I'm taking over from the great Max Matthews just in time for the one and only Mr. Tiger Woods. 

The five-time champion is out at 10.18am ET/3.18pm BST alongside Norwegian Viktor Hovland and fellow American Xander Schauffele. 

This is your ten minute warning. I repeat, this is your ten minute warning. 

LIV duo Patrick Reed and Louis Oosthuizen are among the host of players at one under, with Matt McLean now at one over par.

Sergio Garcia and Shane Lowry are level par, while Sandy Lyle (+3), Alex Noren and Kevin Na (both +4) are at the bottom of the leaderboard.

Well, that's quite enough from me - taking you forwards will be the inimitable Izzy Baldwin.

Enjoy!

Talk about golden oldies!

The forecast for this weekend in Georgia isn't great, to say the least. In fact, some think the tournament may have to end on Monday, if no play is possible on one of the days.

Indeed, one of the commentators says conditions out there right now are like being 'in a tumble dryer'. Given that only four of the early starters are under par, it would suggest there may not be any record-breakingly low scores at the 2023 edition.

But it's NOT Rory McIlroy! (Obviously, he hasn't teed off yet).

Amateur Matt McLean is having a dream start at Augusta, with a bogey on the fifth bringing him back to one under par, level with Scott Stallings of the US at the TOP of the Masters leaderboard.

Fairytale stuff.

A BIG shock at the top of the leaderboard will be with you next...

Tiger Woods is out at 3.18pm, Jon Rahm at 3.42, Phil Mickelson at 5.24, before some real big players later on.

Dustin Johnson is out at 6.12, with Brit Matt Fitzpatrick and Collin Morikawa in the next group, followed by defending champion Scottie Scheffler at 6.36, Rory McIlroy at 6.48 and in the final group at 7pm: Tony Finau, Jordan Spieth, and Tommy Fleetwood.

My (brilliant) Sportsmail colleague Izzy Baldwin will be taking over this live blog at 3pm British time, by the way!

Seamus Power made it look easy with two successive holes-in-one yesterday evening.

He'll be hoping for a couple more of them this weekend, that would do nicely.

Power is out at 2.48pm! He's alongside Bubba Watson, with Shane Lowry and Thomas Pieters in the previous group.

Na birdied the second but bogeyed the third before a par on the fourth.

Four holes, four different results for the American. Settle it down, Kev!

While Sandy steadies the ship with a par to leave him one over after two holes.

You can check out the scores in the link on the title of this post, by the way.

It always inspires emotion, this place.

For your info, Fred Couples went out at 1.36pm, Louis Oosthuizen at 1.48, with Min-woo Lee and American Larry Mize out at 2.

LIV pair Sergio Garcia and Patrick Reed are then out in the next two groups.

Update on the action incoming...

But Matt McLean, a 29-year-old optometrist, is seeing the ball fine out there! He birdies the first. 

Lyle bogeys.

Kevin Na, at his 12th masters, makes a sumptuous 50-foot putt on the first... for double bogey. Playing partner Mike Weir holes a steady par.

And Lyle groans as his opening drive floats way right.

Are popular veteran Vijay Singh of Fiji, American Scott Stallings and Northern Irish amateur Matthew McLean.

Scheduled out at 1.24 are US pair Talor Gooch and Jason Kokrak, along with retiring Scottish legend Sandy Lyle.

Below is Tom Watson's honorary tee shot, by the way.

Kevin Na (USA) and Mike Weir (Canada) are off!

Still got it!

Countdown to the official starters is T-minus 10 minutes...

Here we go... 

This is exciting, isn't it.

While three-time major winner Padraig Harrington gives Sportsmail the lowdown on the key to unlocking the course.

Great insight from the Irishman.

Iconic champions Nicklaus, Watson and Player will get us underway. Then from 1pm British time, the 88 players head out in pairs every 12 minutes.

Then it will be full steam ahead.

Pull up a comfy chair. Grab yourself a cuppa. We're less than an hour away from the Masters tournament beginning.

Looks beautiful in Georgia with the azaleas out, eh? 

He does have a funny turn of phrase, doesn't he.

By the way, the answer to that trivia teaser? Mark O'Meara, the American.

This refreshingly honest Aussie admits he wants his dad to drink so much beer he ends up in the HOSPITAL.

(Sportsmail does not condone excessive drinking.)

A fun trivia question - who's the man on the left that Tiger Woods is helping into the Green Jacket?

Clue: It was from the 1998 tournament...

...almost certainly. Phil Mickelson, famously outspoken, barely spoke a word, while the hardly reticent Fred Couples refused to mention LIV.

Here's how it ALL went down.

The famous Masters dinner, hosted by the previous year's winner, who has total control of the menu, is an exclusive event to which only past champions are invited.

This year, Scottie Scheffler hosted the meal. It sounded delicious, to be fair...

If you haven't heard about it - have you been living under a rock? - LIV is a breakaway/rebel pro golf tour whose CEO is Greg Norman.

It's loud, brash, and fuelled by reams of Saudi Arabian money, funded by the PIF, the Middle Eastern country's sovereign wealth fund.

Many are against it, some because of the human rights abuses of Saudi Arabia and their 'sportswashing' - using sport (for example, also hosting boxing matches and owning Premier League side Newcastle) to improve their public image and distract from their many issues.

Others feel it's just a substandard level of golf. Only 54 (LIV in Roman numerals) holes rather than the usual 72, no cut, guaranteed prize money... it's a bit European Super League-esque, to use a football comparison.

Many of the big names to defect to LIV (Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Cameron Smith, Bubba Watson) have been accused of lining their own pockets with massive piles of money from an oppressive regime.

They insist they're growing the game. Many also think they should be allowed to play in PGA tournaments too, despite abandoning the tour - that's what the legal case was about.

The two camps of players have been taking pot-shots at each other, with LIV stars insisting they will all celebrate together on the green if one of theirs wins at Augusta this weekend.

There could be some awkward match-ups this week...

The DP World Tour has won its legal battle against 12 LIV players who committed 'serious breaches' of the Tour's code of behaviour by playing in LIV Golf events without permission.

As revealed by Sportsmail earlier this week, a three-strong arbitration panel heard five days of arguments from lawyers for a group of LIV players and those representing the DP World Tour in February in an attempt to clarify the playing status of the former on the latter.

The case arose when players requested 'conflicting event' releases in order to play the inaugural LIV Golf event outside London last June.

Read below for more...

BIG news from the legal case between 12 LIV Golf rebels and the DP World Tour.

Find out the answers to those questions - and more - in Sportsmail's handy explainer piece below.

Well, the first two golfers tee off at 1pm BST. They will be Kevin Na of the USA and Mike Weir of Canada.

BUT legends Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson will hit the ceremonial opening shots as 'honorary starters' from 12.40pm. That's less than two hours away.

Full schedule to come shortly...

Sportsmail has the award-winning journalist Riath Al-Samarrai in the States for the tournament.

His official preview is below. 

Hopefully he'll be sending us some titbits throughout the play today! Stay tuned...

Perhaps not with the pair in the below image. That was my dad with me to be fair. I'm a stunning mini-golfer. Not so hot on the full-sized course.

It used to be an ultra-serious competition at the Masters, a mini-Masters if you will. Now it's a much more a light-hearted, child-friendly affair.

It is nice to see the younger generation(s) getting involved!

Congratulations to Tom Hoge, by the way, the 2023 winner of the par three contest. He'll be hoping it's not his only silverware this weekend...

Great question. There are 88 golfers, the great and the good, the cream of the crop, looking to be the one who slips themselves snugly into that historic Green Jacket.

88 stars at the 87th edition of the tournament, all fighting to be champion.

It promises to be ruthless and riveting action.

Good morning and welcome to our coverage of the Masters 2023 tournament!

Over the next four days, the very best golfers in the world will clash to see who will be awarded the famous Green Jacket.

Only one can win. Who will it be? Let's find out...