Englishman Lee Westwood fired a five-under-par 67 to lead the 76th Masters after the first round as Aaron Baddeley brightened a mostly disappointing day for the Australians.
Former world No.1 Westwood, widely considered the best current player yet to win a major championship, had a one-shot lead over South African Louis Oosthuizen (68) and Swede Peter Hanson (68).
Baddeley headed the quest for a first Australian winner of the Masters, carding a solid one-under par 71 to be tied 14th.
Countrymen Geoff Ogilvy (74), John Senden (74), Adam Scott (75), an injured Jason Day (76) and amateur Bryden Macpherson (77) all ended over par to be in the bottom half of the field
Westwood blitzed the front nine at Augusta National in four-under 32 before closing in 35.
“I played well today, and I’ve been playing well all year and I just tried to continue with that,” Westwood said.
“This is a golf course that I love playing. It seems to suit my game.
“I hit pretty much every fairway and 16 greens in regulation and rolled a few nice putts in from sort of five to ten feet, which, when you’re hitting it close a lot, is productive.”
Scotland’s Paul Lawrie, Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez, Italian Francesco Molinari and Americans Bubba Watson, Ben Crane and Jason Dufner shared fourth place after posting 69s.
Tiger Woods scratched his way to an even par round of 72, despited an awful driving display, while fellow pre-tournament favourite Rory McIlroy (71) came back from an opening hole double bogey to best him by a shot.
Baddeley fashioned a birdie on the second hole but bogeyed the sixth before a cracking three iron on the par five 13th allowed him to two-putt for birdie.
When he hit a wedge to almost gimme range on the 17th he converted to get to two-under but bogeyed the last.
“They put some tough pins out there today,” Baddeley said.
“That front side there really wasn’t many birdie opportunities at all.
“You want to shoot as low as you can, but 71 is a good start.
“I felt like I played well. I felt like I played better and better as the day went on, which I was pleased about.”
Day, in doubt before play with a peroneus longus strain in his left foot, played through the pain despite being denied a pain-killing injection for fear of rupturing the tendon.
“It hurt on a couple of shots but other than that it was fine,” he said.
“I just have to try to get through it and rest it up. It takes 2-6 weeks to heal but this is the Masters and I’m going to try to play through the pain.
“There really are no excuses, it didn’t affect me that much.”
