Westwood sets the pace in Augusta

Lee Westwood made the perfect start to his 56th attempt to win a major title today.

Less than three weeks away from his 39th birthday, England’s world number three leads The Masters after a five under par 67 that matched his lowest-ever round at Augusta.

Westwood, runner-up to Phil Mickelson two years ago and with five top three finishes in his last nine majors, held top spot on his own thanks to a spectacular collapse from Swede Henrik Stenson on the day he turned 36.

Stenson, six under after 15, followed a three-putt bogey on the short 16th with a quadruple bogey eight at the last and had to settle for a 71.

That allowed Westwood to end the day one in front of South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen, the only man to beat him in the 2010 Open at St Andrews, and Swede Peter Hanson.

Rory McIlroy, who blew the tournament with a closing 80 last year, recovered from an opening double bogey to hand in a 71, finishing with back-to-back birdies.

In contrast a wayward Tiger Woods bogeyed the last two for a 72, while an even wilder Mickelson and world number one Luke Donald could do no better than 74 and 75 respectively.

Westwood, who had four successive birdies from the fifth to turn in 32, said: “I played well – there was no weakness out there today in my game.

“I hit it close, hit a lot of fairways and rolled in some nice putts.

“I’ve been playing well all year, so I was pretty confident, but trying not to let myself get carried away or anything.

“I just wanted to start steady and strong and play my way into the tournament, which I’ve done.

“When this golf course is soft, it obviously gives you a bit more of a chance.

“I’m right where I want to be and looking forward to the next three days. Hopefully I can stay in the position that I’m in.”

Stenson was not the only one to hit trouble – Mickelson had a triple bogey seven on the 10th.

McIlroy said: “The finish was huge. I didn’t feel I had my best out there and to be under par I’m very pleased.”

Woods had to take penalty drops in the trees at the second and 18th and reckoned that off the tee he had “hit some of the worst shots I’ve ever hit”. He was hastily off to the range afterwards.

Scot Paul Lawrie, playing the event for the first time since 2004, eagled the 13th and 15th for a three under 69 that had set the early clubhouse target.

The 1999 Open champion, now 43, had never broken 70 in 14 previous rounds – and had not managed an eagle either in 264 previous holes at the venue for the season’s first major.

For his two eagles Lawrie first of all hit a rescue club to three feet on the 13th and then he chipped in from 45 feet at the 15th.

He refused to let a closing bogey spoil his mood – especially as he was not even certain to be playing after going down with bronchitis three weeks ago and, of course, it was three better than Stenson managed on the hole.

“I’m still a little bit weak and not quite 100%,” he said. “I’ve played only nine holes every day (in practice) and worked a lot on my short game.

“I’m trying to keep it low key. I’m not thinking about winning at all – I’m three behind already!”

That was before Stenson did what he did, however.

McIlroy, who went from four ahead to 10 behind in the most harrowing experience of his young golfing life last April, came back to win the US Open by eight shots two months later.

Yet he had still been asked about possible demons at Augusta earlier this week and he gave himself another bad memory by immediately driving into the right-hand trees, failing to make it back to the fairway off the pine straw and then three-putting.

Lawrie is in a tie for fourth place, while Ireland's Padraig Harrington - winner of the curtain-raising par three competition for a record third time and therefore trying to break a hoodoo once again as nobody has gone on from that to Masters glory - England's Ross Fisher, Stenson and McIlroy are joint 14th.

Justin Rose and Ian Poulter are only one further back and tied for 29th with Woods.

Open champion Darren Clarke, bothered by a groin strain before the start, had a 73, Graeme McDowell 75, Martin Laird, Simon Dyson and Paul Casey 76, Ian Woosnam, 77 and 1988 winner Sandy Lyle, Britain’s first champion, a worst-of-the-day 86 – 46 of them by the turn.