Rory McIlroy in share of Masters lead after picking up where he left off

His mood was understandably in direct contrast to that of McIlroy, who was rightly proud of himself. He began at 10.31am and did not hit a fairway until it was approaching 1pm – missing six in succession. It is not ideal but Augusta can be played that way if you stay aggressive.

He birdied the second, courtesy of a fine pitch to three feet, and the next par five, the eighth, when launching a choked-down three-wood from 269 yards to 25 feet. On the ninth, he took advantage of finally locating the cut stuff, conjuring a wedge to eight feet. He was two under, probably had no right to be, but he appeared unflustered.

From the 13th, he reeled off three birdies. He sliced his drive into the trees on the right, but chopped out and chipped to 14 feet. On this par-five last year, in that excruciating finale, he contrived to lay up and then knock his third into Rae’s Creek.

This was a different pin position and a different day – a Thursday has nothing to a Sunday – but it also felt like a different McIlroy. Stay calm, take the chances when they present themselves. He unleashed a marvellous drive down the 14th and clipped his approach to seven feet.

On the par-five 15th, he was wide again, this time on the left. Twelve months before, he had pulled off one of the great Masters shots when drawing his second around the trees to five feet (remember: he missed the putt). This was no time for heroics and he cosied his ball back onto the fairway and from there played a so-so wedge to the back of the green.

No matter, from 30 feet he rolled it down the slope and clenched his fist when it eventually dropped. He might have picked up another from nine feet on the 17th but it would be churlish to moan.