Rose races into early lead

Justin Rose, without a single top 20 finish all year, raised his game when it mattered most today, setting a superb early clubhouse target in the first round of the Masters.

The 23-year-old from Hampshire, as excited to be back playing Augusta National as he was for his debut last year, produced a five-under-par 67 to lead by two from playing partner Chris DiMarco, whose round included only the fourth hole-in-one in Masters history at the 180-yard sixth.

Rose, out in the third group of the day, opened with a 30-foot birdie, birdied the long second as well and then hit his approach to nine feet on the difficult ninth.

Out in 33 when the putt dropped – it might have been better since he three-putted the eighth for a par five – he bogeyed the 11th with another three-putt, but played a brilliant bunker shot on the 510-yard 13th and then finished with two more birdies.

Darren Clarke, dressed in a pair of shocking pink and white striped trousers, was tied for fifth after a front-nine 35, while Sandy Lyle had a particular reason to be pleased with his level-par 72.

For the second year running 1988 winner Lyle was put out first with 67-year-old Tommy Aaron and 66-year-old Charles Coody – and he could not believe it.

“I thought it was last year’s draw, but unfortunately it wasn’t,” commented Lyle.

“If I shoot 68 or something tomorrow then maybe they [the powers-that-be at Augusta] might think about it.”

Asked if he wanted to prove he was not a ceremonial golfer he replied: “Exactly. You took the words out of my mouth. I’m not ready for this.

“I want to stay competitive. Jack Nicklaus won when he was 46 and that’s my age. I saw it all because I was playing with him and I’m looking forward to maybe doing the same.

“I tried to look on it as a positive. It makes me feel like Tiger Woods for a couple of days, out-hitting them by 50 yards.” Aaron shot 87 and Coody 88.

Colin Montgomerie opened with a 10-foot birdie putt, but was level par after 10, while Padraig Harrington, for the second-successive time carrying the jinx of winning the par-three competition, bogeyed the third and managed to turn only in a one-over 37.

Nick Faldo did the same, then bogeyed the 10th, 13th and 14th to be four over, the same mark as Paul Lawrie. One worse was British amateur champion Gary Wolstenholme after 15 holes. The 43-year-old, who led after a front-nine 33 on his debut 12 years ago, was still waiting for his first birdie.

Wolstenholme was playing with Tom Watson, whose long-time caddie Bruce Edwards had died overnight. He had been seriously ill with Lou Gehrig’s Disease for a long time.

Arnold Palmer, playing for the 50th and last time, turned in 40, then double-bogeyed the 10th and bogeyed the 11th. Needless to say, he was still cheered every step of the way.

Tiger Woods was among the later starters.