World number one Scottie Scheffler leads the Masters by five shots after a strong showing on a windy second day at Augusta.

Scheffler carded a five-under 67 to move to eight under for the tournament, ahead of four players in the chasing pack on three under.

After a woeful start to his second round, bogeying four of the first five holes, Tiger Woods recovered to card 74 for the day, tied for 19th on one over par, at least ensuring he will be back for the weekend.

The leader heading into the second round, Im Sung-jae, was unable to repeat his Thursday heroics but remains in the mix after his round of 74 left him among those tied for second with Charl Schwartzel, Shane Lowry and reigning champion Hideki Matsuyama.

Several big names did miss the cut, with Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka finishing on six over par after two rounds, Xander Schauffele on seven over, Justin Rose eight over and Bryson DeChambeau 10 over.

Shot of the day

An honourable mention to Woods and Lowry for tremendous second shots at 10, but there can only be one winner on Friday as Stewart Cink pulled off a crowd-pleasing hole-in-one at the 16th.

The 48-year-old ultimately missed the cut, finishing on seven over par, but hitting his tee shot on 16 to the right of the hole, only for the ball to roll back and into the cup led to the appropriate whooping from the fans and hugging from Cink's caddie, who also happened to be his son Reagan.

Player of the day

Lowry impressed with his four-under round for the day, but there is no looking past Scheffler, who dominated day two in Augusta.

The 25-year-old made seven birdies for his five-under round of 67, the joint-best of the day with Justin Thomas, following his 69 from Thursday and giving him a big lead going into Saturday.

Scheffler was already in the lead when he put his foot on the accelerator after the turn, making birdies on four of his last seven holes.

Chipping in

Collin Morikawa on Tiger: "I've never heard roars like that [on Thursday]. Especially at Augusta when everything kind of echoes a little bit more. I think we were walking down six, and [Dustin Johnson] and I heard that Tiger I think made birdie, and you can hear that. There's nothing like it."

Schwartzel on his mindset: "I think that's where I've been going wrong. Mind is too active, and I really worked hard in staying in the present and just trying to execute a golf shot and not to worry about what can go wrong because I've been playing too much golf thinking of what can go wrong."

Cink on whether he would be getting his son Reagan, who also caddied for him on his birthday, a present: "I already got him the hole-in-one. That's the extent of my birthday present. I gave him the ball. That should be enough, right?"

A little birdie told me

- Scheffler's five-stroke margin ties the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history.

- Woods maintains his 100 per cent record of making the cut at the Masters (22 out of 22). He has secured a top five place in 57 per cent of his previous 21 appearances (12), winning the title on five occasions.

- Cink's hole-in-one was the 34th in Masters history, though 16 is by far the most popular hole for aces at Augusta, with 24 being made there.

Tiger Woods said he needs "to go out there and handle my business" as the five-time Masters champion recovered from a dreadful start to his second round.

It is a surprise that Woods is competing this week, and while a fairytale tournament victory looks beyond him – with world number one Scottie Scheffler leading the chasing pack by five shots on eight under – he is pleased to have at least secured his place for the weekend's action at Augusta.

Woods was champion at the Masters most recently in 2019, when he ended a run of 11 years without a major title.

However, his second round on Friday got off to a woeful start as he bogeyed four of his first five holes, with his comeback threatening to turn sour as he flirted with the projected cut score of four over par.

Woods soon turned things around, though, and despite two more bogeys on 11 and 12 he followed up with two birdies and four pars to finish with a round of 74 and on one over par overall, meaning he kept up his 100 per cent record of making the cut at Augusta.

The 46-year-old has now made the weekend on 22 occasions at the Masters, which is the only major in which he has always made the cut as a professional. He has secured a top-five finish in 12 of those previous 21 appearances.

Five-time Masters champion Woods conceded the wind had been an issue early on, saying: "It was blustery. It was windy. It was swirling all over the place.

"I hit a couple shots that I got a couple of bad gusts and also made a couple of bad swings on top of that. Then on four, I ended up in a divot. It was just like 'okay, what else can go wrong?'"

When asked how he was feeling, Woods laughed and replied: "Well, I don't feel as good as I would like to feel. That's okay.

"As I said, I've got a chance going into the weekend. Hopefully I'll have one of those light bulb moments and turn it on in the weekend and get it done. You've seen guys do it with a chance going into the back nine. If you are within five or six going into the back nine, anything can happen.

"I need to get myself there. That's the key. I need to get myself there.

"Tomorrow will be a big day. It's going to be cool. It's going to be tough. Again, the wind is supposed to blow again and tough scoring conditions. I need to go out there and handle my business and get into the red and get myself a chance going into that back nine on Sunday."

Rory McIlroy endured a "really tough" day in the Georgia wind after carding another round 73 to sit on two over par after two rounds at the Masters.

The weather really put the "gust" in Augusta on Friday as several players struggled with the conditions, though McIlroy looks to have made the cut, projected to be four over.

The Northern Irishman made three birdies, three bogeys and one double bogey as he found himself unable to make a move on the leaders.

Speaking after his round, McIlroy said of the conditions: "Tough, really tough. It's gusty, it's hard to commit to a number and say 'okay, it's 170, it's really playing 200', and committing to it because the wind's just going up and down.

"It's a tough challenge, being okay with hitting to 30 feet and getting within two shots and making pars, that's been the name of the game today."

The 32-year-old hit a bogey at 10 before double bogeying the 11th to drop to four over par, but was able to birdie two of the last seven to potentially rescue his week.

"That was a soft couple of holes on 10 and 11, giving away three shots," he added. "And then to play the last seven in two under was really nice. I hit the ball very well coming in, felt like I left a couple out there too, I had a few chances, but it's just one of those days that even the 10 footers are difficult because the wind's gusting.

"One of those days that unsettles you a bit and puts some doubt in your mind, and that's where golf can become difficult."

A number of high-profile players are likely to miss the cut, with Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka on six over par after two rounds, Xander Schauffele on seven over, Justin Rose eight over and Bryson DeChambeau 10 over.

Tiger Woods set off on his second round at Augusta with the wind blowing and the world watching as the five-time Masters champion looked to stay in contention.

After an opening one-under-par 71, Woods said he was "right where I need to be" at his comeback tournament, explaining he would require "lots of ice baths" before returning to action on Friday.

That is because his body is continuing to recover from the serious car accident in February 2021 that left him with major leg and foot injuries.

It is a surprise to many that Woods is competing this week, but he said ahead of the tournament that he believed he could win again, and Thursday's impressive round showed that was not merely bravado.

He teed off at 13:42 local time (18:42 BST), taking the driver off the tee and finding a large fairway bunker. From there he failed to hit the green, with Woods then unable to get up and down for par, rolling in for a bogey that nudged him back to level par.

The 46-year-old was champion at the Masters most recently in 2019, when he ended a run of 11 years without a major title.

He has 15 majors to date by his name, three behind record holder Jack Nicklaus.

Woods is playing his opening two rounds with Chile's Joaquin Niemann, who had a sparkling three-under 69 on Thursday. Louis Oosthuizen was part of the group but shot a 76 on day one and pulled out injured before the second round.

South African Charl Schwartzel won at Augusta in 2011 and made a significant move on Friday as a three-under 69, following an opening level-par 72, nudged him to within a shot of the lead, which was held by another former Masters winner in Danny Willett.

Willett made a birdie at his second hole of the day and stood at four under for the tournament early in his second round after an opening 69 on Thursday.

Im Sung-jae began at five under but slipped back to three under with three holes of his round remaining.

Australian Cameron Smith, who tied second at the Masters in 2020 and has two wins on the PGA Tour already this year, had a bizarre opening round on Thursday, with his four-under-par 68 bookended by double bogeys on the first and 18th holes.

The eight birdies he recorded between those calamitous holes pointed to Smith being a contender again this year.

Smith, 28, began on Friday with a dropped shot at the first, an improvement on how he got on in the opening round at the same hole but a blow nonetheless as it knocked him back to three under.

Rory McIlroy will hope to build on an encouraging start on day two at The Masters and claimed his first-round one-over 73 was the "worst I could have shot".

The Northern Irishman headed to Augusta National searching to complete the elusive career grand slam for an eighth attempt, and sits six shots behind leader Im Sung-jae after the opening round on Thursday.

Slow starts have often been McIlroy's problems at the majors, but he felt his "negative" approach paid dividends as he opted for a more conservative route around Augusta.

Four-time major winner McIlroy was satisfied with his first outing as he looks for a first major title since the PGA Championship in 2014, and believes his one-over-par round did not do his efforts justice.

"I am encouraged with how I played. I don't really care where I am at on the leaderboard, it doesn't matter," the 32-year-old said.

"I hit the ball well from tee to green in the most part, I am pleased with that [although] I want to work on my putting.

"I think I hit 12 fairways and 14 greens and just didn't really get a lot out of the round. I hit a lot of greens in the middle and made a lot of easy pars.

"I had a putt at 14 to go two-under for the round with a par five to play but I three-putted that and halted any momentum I had. I think that's the worst I could have shot, I felt I played really well.

"The course is in incredible shape for the amount of rain we have had, so I am looking forward to dry conditions over the next three days."

McIlroy, who is tied for 31st place after his three bogeys cancelled out two birdies, is set to get back in action at 15:45 BST on Friday with playing partners Brooks Koepka and Matthew Fitzpatrick.

While he had no difficulty in parring the first hole on the opening day, McIlroy believes the nerves of that initial tee shot at The Masters never fade away.

"The hour or two leading up to that first tee shot there are nerves and anxiety," he added. "Once you get the first tee shot out of the way it is business as usual.

"I usually envision, 'what's the worst place I could hit it off the tee?' I then think, 'okay, I could probably make four from there'. That is how I settle myself down."

Tiger Woods looked in good health in his return to The Masters, but it is Im Sung-jae who stands alone atop the leaderboard after the first round at Augusta National.

In Woods' first competitive round since The Masters in 2020, the legend finished with three birdies – on the sixth, 13th and 16th – as well as two bogeys, on the eighth and 14th holes.

South Korea's Im produced the round of the day, birdieing the first three holes on his way to five birdies, two bogeys and an eagle on 13 to finish at five under.

Smith, who recently won The Players Championship, finished one shot off the lead and outright second at four under, despite bookending his round with double-bogeys on both the first and the 18th, with eight birdies in between.

World number one Scottie Scheffler nearly went bogey-free, but a slip-up on 18 saw him finish two shots off the pace at three under. 

It was a similar story for Dustin Johnson, who birdied four of his first 10 holes before dropping a shot on the 17th to finish tied with Scheffler, as well as Chile's Joaquin Niemann and England's Danny Willett in a tie for third.

Patrick Cantlay and Canadian Corey Conners highlight the small group tied for seventh at two under, while Tony Finau, Webb Simpson and former runner-up Will Zalatoris are one further back, tied with Woods for 10th.

A decorated group finished at even par, including Hideki Matsuyama and Sergio Garcia, as well as Victor Hovland, who had five birdies, three bogeys and a double-bogey.

A pair of big names shot 73 for a one over finish in Collin Morikawa and Rory McIlroy, while plenty of notable stars were a further shot back.

Bookmakers' favourite Jon Rahm was uncharacteristically off his game, with four bogeys and two birdies to finish at two over along with Max Homa, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth and Adam Scott.

Brooks Koepka was two under through nine holes, but three consecutive bogeys on 11, 12 and 13 drained his confidence, eventually finishing three over.

Bryson DeChambeau, Louis Oosthuizen and Justin Thomas had a day to forget at four over.

Tiger Woods says he was "sore" but "right where I need to be" after making a promising start to his astonishing comeback at The Masters.

It was feared the 15-time major champion's incredible career would be over when he suffered serious leg and foot injuries in a car accident in February 2021.

Yet just over 13 months later, the legendary American was teeing off in the first major of the season at Augusta and was just three shots off the lead when he signed for a one-under 71.

At the famous course where he won the green jacket five times, Woods made three birdies and two bogeys in a promising return.

Sungjae Im was at the top of the leaderboard on five under through 15 holes, with Dustin Johnson a shot adrift of the South Korean along with Cameron Smith, who started and finished with a double bogey as he went round in 68.

The 46-year-old Woods says it feels like a victory just to be playing this week and is ready to go through the pain barrier in Georgia, where he was given such great support on Thursday.

He said: "I am as sore as I expected to feel, but it was amazing to have - like I was telling the team all week, come game time, it will be a different deal.

"My adrenaline will kick in. I'll get into my own little world, and I'll get after it. It's about the training that we've done to have the stamina to go.

"I'm going to be sore, yes. That's just the way it is. But the training cycles that we've had to make sure that I have the stamina to keep going -- and this is only one round. We've got three more to go. There's a long way to go and a lot of shots to be played."

Woods revealed that his pre-round preparation had not gone to plan.

"I had a terrible warm-up session," he said. "I hit it awful. I went back to what my dad always said. Did you accomplish your task in the warm-up? It's a warm-up. Did you warm-up?

"Yes, I did. Now go play. That's exactly what I did, I went and played."

"I forgot whatever I did on the range and just go ahead and play shot for shot, hit the ball in the correct spot, commit to what I'm doing, leave myself in the right angles, hopefully make a few putts, and let's get after this thing. Yeah, I was able to do that.

"I was able to finish up in the red. I'm only three back. I'm right where I need."

The former world number one, who could have lost a leg following his car accident last year, had more work to do after such an encouraging opening round.

He added: "Lots of treatments. Lots of ice. Lots of ice baths. Just basically freezing myself to death. That's just part of the deal. And getting all the swelling out as best as we possibly can and getting it mobile and warmed up, activated and explosive for the next day. Those are two totally different ends of the spectrum.

"Most sports, if you're not feeling very good, you got a team-mate to pass it off to, and they can kind of shoulder the load. Or in football, one day a week. Here we've got four straight days, and there's no one that's going to shoulder the load besides me. I've got to figure out a way to do it.

"My team's been incredible at getting me into this position so that I can compete. I'll take it from there. I know how to play. I've just got to get out there where I can play."

Tiger Woods made an impressive start to his sensational Masters return before Dustin Johnson joined Cameron Smith in a share of the lead at Augusta.

Woods declared himself fit to make an incredible comeback at Augusta on Thursday, just over 13 months after suffering serious leg and foot injuries in a car accident.

The 15-time major champion did not resemble a player whose career could have been over last year as he carded a one-under 71 in his first competitive round for 508 days.

Woods was in a share of ninth place when he holed a putt for par at 18 following a wayward tee shot as he made up for lost time in Georgia, where he was given magnificent support from packed galleries.

The five-time winner of the green jacket went out in 36 after a brilliant tee shot gave him a simple task of rolling in a short birdie putt at the par-three sixth, before a first bogey at the eighth.

Legendary American Woods made further gains at holes 13 and 16 following a second dropped shot at 14, looking like he had never been away in a promising opening round.

Smith started and finished with a double bogey as he signed for a four-under 68.

The Australian had been three shots clear, but sliced his tee shot way at the last to the right, undoing some of the good work after making eight birdies.

World number one Scottie Scheffler joined Smith on four under when he made a fourth birdie at the penultimate hole, but bogeyed 18 to join Danny Willett and Joaquin Niemann one stroke off the pace.

Johnson ominously moved into a share of the lead with Smith when he made a fourth birdie of the day at the 10th under blue skies.

There were roars at Augusta National when Tiger Woods saved par at the first hole of the Masters on his sensational return.

Woods has defied the odds to make his comeback this week after recovering from the serious leg and foot injuries he sustained in a car accident in February 2021.

The 15-time major champion was given an incredible ovation at the first tee in Georgia on Thursday after a delay to the start of the tournament due to thunderstorms.

Woods, a winner of the green jacket on five occasions, most recently in 2019, sent his tee shot just short of a bunker to the right of the fairway and had work to do following his approach.

The legendary American chipped his third shot 10 feet from the hole and looked like he had never been away as he rolled in a putt for par.

Padraig Harrington hit the turn at the top of the leaderboard on one under along with the likes of Tommy Fleetwood, Daniel Berger, Harry Higgs and Max Homa.

Defending champion Hideki Matsuyama also made par at the opening hole, but there was a double-bogey for the well fancied Cameron Smith.

Englishman Paul Casey will not win a maiden major this weekend, as he withdrew due to injury.

Tom Watson said he was "truly humbled" to make his first appearance as an honorary starter of the Masters on Thursday, as action got under way at Augusta.

After a half-hour delay caused by overnight storms, Watson joined fellow golf greats Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player in hitting the first tee shots of the championship.

The ceremonial role – none of the three are playing in the tournament – is one that only goes to golf's most notable stars from history, with the late Arnold Palmer having long been part of the group.

Watson, in a purple windcheater, hit the third tee shot after Player, in his customary black, and Nicklaus, in yellow sweater and cap, were the first to tee off.

"I would like to say how honoured I am to be with Gary and Jack," said Watson, as he approached the tee.

He spoke of the proud tradition and observing Palmer, Gene Sarazen and Byron Nelson being honorary starters in Masters history.

"To be a part of this thing, I am truly humbled," said 72-year-old Watson.

He then hit the best-looking drive of the three men, who joined together in a huddle after receiving the acclaim of the early-morning crowd.

Watson won the Masters in 1977 and 1981, with the American adding one U.S. Open title and five Open Championship victories.

He played his final Masters, and final major, at Augusta in April 2016.

Player, now a fighting fit 86, won the Masters three times, while 82-year-old Nicklaus is the event's record six-time champion.

Tiger Woods was greeted with thunderstorms that caused a delay to play on day one at the Masters, where the American superstar was making a shock return to competition.

The scheduled start at 08:00 local time in Georgia (13:00 BST) was moved back by half an hour due to the inclement weather on Thursday.

Lightning strikes were observed locally during the night, leading organisers to shift back the schedule.

Woods, the 15-time major winner who triumphed at the Masters for a fifth time three years ago, is returning to golf 14 months after a major car crash in California which he has admitted he was lucky to survive.

He suffered major leg and foot injuries but has tested his body against the hilly major championship course over the past week and was listed as a late-morning starter, with a rescheduled tee time of 11:04 local time (16:04 BST) as he prepared to play with South African Louis Oosthuizen and Chile's Joaquin Niemann.

Declan Rice believes a green jacket would be an ideal complement to claret and blue for West Ham fans Billy Horschel and Francesco Molinari.

England and West Ham footballer Rice sent the loyal Hammers a message of good luck on Thursday, with the Masters getting under way at Augusta National.

Neither Horschel nor Molinari hail from West Ham's traditional east London catchment area, but both have made public declarations of love for the Premier League club.

Horschel, a 35-year-old American, became a West Ham supporter during his days in college and used a golf bag bearing club colours and the team's crest during last year's Open Championship.

Molinari first began following West Ham in 2009 when his friend and fellow Italian Gianfranco Zola was manager of the team.

Rice said, in a message posted on West Ham's Twitter page: "Billy, Francesco, all the best this week in the Masters.

"Me and the boys will be rooting for you. Hopefully one of you can get the green jacket. All the best. See you soon."

Horschel finished tied for second at the recent Arnold Palmer Invitational and is up to 13th in the world rankings. He has only ever spent one week higher on that list, when he briefly held down number 12 in 2014, and headed into the Masters with high hopes, looking to improve on his best performance of tied-17th in the 2016 tournament.

He was due off in a starry afternoon group alongside Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa, both two-time major winners.

Molinari, the 2018 Open champion, has struggled for results of late and was among the early starters on day one, joining 1987 Masters winner Larry Mize and Austria's Sepp Straka in the third group out.

West Ham had a major assignment of their own to look forward to on Thursday, tackling Lyon in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.

Masters and Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley says Phil Mickelson was not "disinvited" from the first major of the year.

Six-time major winner Mickelson in February revealed he was taking a hiatus following the backlash to his comments promoting a Saudi Arabia-backed Super Golf League. 

The 51-year-old American had suggested that although Saudi Arabia has "a horrible record on human rights", the threat of the potential breakaway competition could be used to "reshape how the PGA Tour operates".

Mickelson subsequently apologised for making "reckless" comments.

There will be no fourth Masters title for the San Diego native this week, as he is not in the field in Georgia. 

Ridley on Wednesday denied that Mickelson's absence is because he is not welcome.

He said in a press conference: "I would like to say we did not disinvite Phil. Phil is a three-time Masters Champion and is invited in that category and many other categories; he's the defending PGA Champion. 

"Phil reached out to me, I think it was in late February, early March, and let me know that he did not intend to play. That was by way of a text. 

"And I thanked him for his courtesy in letting me know.  I told him that we certainly appreciated that and, you know, told him that I was certainly willing to discuss that further with him if he'd like, and he thanked me, and we had a very cordial exchange."

While Ridley says it will be strange not to see Mickelson tee off on Thursday, he is naturally delighted that Tiger Woods' is set to make a sensational comeback.

"Well, certainly not anything we anticipated. I think in Phil's case, he made a personal decision, and I don't know anything beyond that," Jacobs said.

"I know that Phil has been a real fixture here at the Masters for many, many years. He's been a big part of our history. I certainly and we certainly wish him the best sort of working through the issues he's dealing with right now. 

"As it relates to Tiger, it's just truly amazing. I don't even know how else to say it. I would have probably taken some pretty high odds a few weeks or a few months ago, even a few weeks ago, whether or not he would be here. 

"But when you think about it, it really shouldn't surprise us. He is one of the most determined, dedicated athletes that I have ever seen in my life. 

"I saw him out last Tuesday when he was out practising, was in great spirits and had Charlie [his son] with him. It was interesting yesterday in his press conference, he said the only really issue is walking; that his golf swing's fine. So who knows what might happen this week, but we are excited he's here."

A victory in a major "catapults you into another realm", so says Tiger Woods ahead of his remarkable comeback at the Masters.

Woods, who has not featured in a competition since he played at Augusta National in November 2020, is making an unexpected return to top-level golf just over a year after suffering serious leg and foot injuries in a car crash in California.

The 46-year-old completed an incredible comeback tale in 2019 when he won a fifth green jacket at the Masters, taking his number of major victories to 15, after returning from spinal surgery.

Woods is returning to Augusta 25 years after winning his first major at the famous Georgia course. Since then, no other player has won more of the big four tournaments than the American.

And Woods explained how a victory in a major sends a golfer into a "different league".

Woods told Sky Sports: "They're the four biggest events that we have in our sport. To win one, it catapults you into another realm and into a different league of respect from your peers.

"The players that have won major championships and especially those who have won multiple understand how difficult it is.

"All of us can have hot weeks, right, so if you time it up right and win a major championship, that's great. But the guys who have won multiples, it takes you into a different realm and different respect from your peers."

Only the great Jack Nicklaus (six) has won the Masters more times than Woods (five), who is also the youngest player to don the green jacket, at the age of 21 years and 104 days.

If he wins the tournament for a record-equalling sixth time, he will overtake Nicklaus as the oldest player to win it.

Asked what state of mind it takes to win a major when it comes to the final round, Woods said: "If you've got a chance to be there with a chance to win, that means you’re playing well, you're not slapping it all over the place.

"To be in that position, a lot of things have had to go right, you should have an understanding of what you're capable of doing, then it's just getting a feel for what is going to be needed, what that score is going to be.

"It's about getting a feel for what is needed. The hard part is going out and executing it and getting it done."

The Masters is the only major in which Woods has always made the cut as a professional (21 out of 21). He has secured a top-five finish in 12 of those appearances.

Woods is also the last player to win the Masters in successive seasons, doing so in 2001 and 2002. The only other golfers to have achieved the feat are Nicklaus (1965-1966) and Nick Faldo (1989-1990). 

Peaking too soon is a problem for every golf season, for the Masters at Augusta – the first major of the year – is what the sport is all about.

The greatest names have embarked on Georgia in pursuit of a prized green jacket.

But to enjoy a successful Sunday this week, players must get to grips with perhaps the biggest star of them all: the iconic course itself.

Augusta is what makes the Masters the Masters, so Stats Perform breaks down where one of the most prestigious tournaments sport might be won and lost.

LONGEST HOLE

At 575 yards, the par-five second hole – Pink Dogwood – is the longest on the course, but that does not mean it is the toughest, instead offering some respite following the tricky first.

Historically, number two has been played in 4.78 strokes on average, making it the third-easiest hole at Augusta in relation to par. In fact, the lowest average on record came in 2020 (4.467) – and that was not a mere quirk of the strange conditions around the course in recent years without the usual crowds, given the highest average, in 1957, was 4.996. Yep, the second has never played at even par or worse.

SHORTEST HOLE

Skill rather than strength is required to negotiate Redbud, the 170-yard, par-three 16th. Considered too easy in the tournament's early days, the installation of a pond added some peril – and plenty of drama. With three bunkers around the green, too, the tee shot has to be pretty perfect or something spectacular will be required to come up with a birdie, as Tiger Woods will attest. "In your life, have you seen anything like that?"

Unsurprisingly, though, given its length, the 16th is also the setting for the vast majority of the Masters' holes-in-one. Of the 33 in tournament history, 23 have come at Redbud, including the first from amateur Ross Somerville at the inaugural tournament in 1934 but also 16 since the turn of the century. The last came courtesy of Tommy Fleetwood in 2021.

HARDEST HOLE

Think of Augusta and you will likely quickly focus on Amen Corner, but the most daunting challenge of all lies at the hole immediately prior: the par-four number 10 Camellia. Statistically, with a stroke average of 4.3 (0.3 over par), this is as tough as it gets – albeit only fractionally ahead of the 11th.

With its lowest stroke average 4.082 in 2018, the 10th has never played at even par or better... unless your name is Jordan Spieth. The 2015 Masters champion has a real knack around Camellia, with four birdies in four rounds last year. Few others have been able to follow Spieth's example at what was originally the first hole.

EASIEST HOLE

With the hardest hole followed by the second-ranked 11th and fourth-ranked 12th, there might be a sense of relief at Azalea, the par-five number 13 with a 4.77 stroke average. But there is very much a risk-reward approach to this 510-yard hole, at which the player can go for the green in two but must beware the water to the left and the trees to the right.

This is another set-up that suits Spieth well, as it does the absent Phil Mickelson, even if his most memorable shot at Azalea was not exactly an exhibition in playing the hole. An error created the opportunity for Mickelson's six-iron from the pine straw on Sunday in 2010.

THE RECORDS

The course record belongs to Nick Price and Greg Norman, who both shot 63s, but perhaps it should come as no surprise Spieth has the best career average of all players to play 25 or more rounds at Augusta, with his 70.46 leading Woods' 70.87.

That mark will come under threat should Dustin Johnson (71.03) produce anything like his sensational record-breaking 2020 performance again, however. Helped by carding only four bogeys – a low among Masters champions – Johnson's 20-under total of 268 trimmed two off the previous week-long benchmark owned jointly by Woods and Spieth.

Still, with Cameron Smith and Im Sung-jae 'only' five back, Woods' record winning margin of 12 strokes to Tom Kite in 1997 remained.