What’s the Rory story this year? After Mr McIlroy ended his long wait to complete his career with a long-awaited Masters crown, Lawrence Ostlere digs deep into a new mental challenge for the defending champion.

Sami Valimaki was picked out by Team Europe’s data guru Edoardo Molinari as a player to watch this weekend, with Luke Donald’s vice captain believing the Finn to be of the sort of statistical profile that tends to suit Augusta. Driving tends to be where Valimaki falls short of the best but he’s an excellent putter, and a PGA Tour winner at the RSM Classic late last year. One to watch on debut? Just the second Finnish golfer to play here after Mikko Ilonen, he’ll have use of any morning dew when he tees off in about five minutes.

You would have to say that the draw has not been kind to the 1994 and 1999 champion Jose Maria Olazabal. The 60-year-old is in a three-ball with dashing Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, who is a lovely ball-striker, and burly South African Aldrich Potgieter, statistically the longest hitter on the PGA Tour this year.

Olazabal’s wily stylings and course knowledge could yet beat both, of course. The Spaniard made the cut two years ago and is capable of a repeat. They are off at 1.02pm BST.

Gary Player really is in great shape – he reckoned this week that he had beaten his age over 3,400 times. He’s 90, now, the South African, but still produces his trademark high kick after his tee shot. A winner here three times, of course.

It was only in 1963 that this Masters tradition began, and it is only relatively recently that it was past champions given the honour, but three golfing greats have officially got proceedings underway with the ceremonial tee shot. Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson have belted (or, at least, caressed elegantly) their ball in the direction of the first fairway – we are up and underway.

Some former Masters champions are in the opening few groups. Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal (1994, 1999), Argentina’s Angel Carrera (2009) South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel (2011) and Fiji’s Vijay Singh (2000) all return to Augusta.

12:40 John Keefer (US), Haotong Li (Chn)

12:50 Naoyuki Kataoka (Jpn), Max Homa (US), Carlos Ortiz (Mex)

13:02 Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa), Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (Den), Aldrich Potgieter (SA)

13:14 Angel Cabrera (Arg), Sami Valimaki (Fin), Jackson Herrington (US*)

13:26 Charl Schwartzel (SA), Max Greyserman (US), Ryan Fox (NZ)

13:38 Vijay Singh (Fij), Matt McCarty (US), Rasmus Hojgaard (Den)

It’s a lovely morning at Augusta, the morning dew just starting to burn off with temperatures rising up into the low 20s today. It’ll be a little warmer over the weekend, while forecast winds should further dry out the surfaces. It could be a tough weekend on firm and fast greens – it’s nine years since our last winner in single figures (Sergio Garcia at -9), but we could be in that sort of territory here.

Augusta National really is a special place – as Ed Malyon details after a stroll around the immaculate course yesterday:

Here is a look at the round-one pin locations.

The left pin on three could see a few players decide to lay up rather than go for the green on that short par-four. The 15th looks tricky too – any tee shot down the left will be blocked out by trees. Twelve is right in the heart of the green, where most players tend to aim, so perhaps we’ll see some birdies there.

One of the great sights of every Masters is the ceremonial tee-off. With 11 green jackets between then, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson will return to Augusta and have the honour of opening this year’s tournament.