Rose - brilliant 67 (Getty Images)

Justin Rose, without a single top 20 finish all year, raised his game when it mattered most today, firing a superb five-under-par 67 on another rain-hit opening day 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, led by two from Americans Jay Haas and Chris DiMarco, who on the 180-yard sixth recorded just the fourth hole-in-one there in the tournament's history.

Amazingly, Rose finished the day nine in front of world number one Tiger Woods, whose bid for a fourth title began with a bogey at the first, double bogey on the fifth and bogey six on the eighth.

He won by 12 after the same outward 40 in 1997 - his first major as a professional - but after a two-hour thunderstorm delay he had time for only five more holes and at the end of them was still searching for his first birdie.

Haas and DiMarco were joined late in the day by world number three Ernie Els, but just before play was called off he bogeyed the 17th.

Rose, whose own pro career began in nightmare fashion with 21 successive missed cuts, said: "I thought anything around par would be a good score. If somebody had said 67 I would have thought 'Wow'.

"It's a dream start. To birdie the first two gets you into the tournament from the word go and makes your day much, much easier.

"From the first tee shot I felt comfortable. This is a magical place and it's inspirational.

"I have been hitting it really well lately, but not necessarily getting good scores. Nice it came today."

The wife of his coach David Leadbetter had spotted him moving on putts. She herself practises with rollerblades on, but trying it on one leg was as far as he was prepared to go to improve things.

Rose, out in the third group, opened with a 30-foot birdie, was on in two at 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 got up and down from sand on the 510-yard 13th and then finished with two more birdies, sinking putts of four and eight feet.

Always to be remembered for his fourth place finish in the 1998 Open at Birkdale when still only 17 - his pitch-in at the last was his final stroke as an amateur - Rose believes the horror run that followed has toughened him up.

Darren Clarke, like Ian Poulter dressed in pink trousers and in his case with white stripes and white turn-ups, birdied the last as well during one of several showers for a 70 that put him joint fourth.

"I played very nicely all day," said the Ulsterman, who led by three at the same point last year after the first day was completely washed out. "I made very few mistakes and played away from nearly all the flagsticks.

"My putter was cold (he twice three-putted), but I am very pleased with the way I hit it. For me it was a very sensible round of golf."

Colin Montgomerie was only one further back and joint seventh, but refused to talk after bogeying the 18th. Off a perfect drive he pushed his iron into a bunker and came out 25 feet long.

Debutant Phillip Price also bogeyed the last for a 71 - it was his only bogey - and that came a day after he had a hole-in-one in the par three competition.

However, Padraig Harrington managed only a 74 after winning the par three event for the second year running. No winner of that has gone on to become Masters champion, but Harrington was hoping to shake off the jinx.

Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson, two more of the favourites, were going well, but then hit trouble. Singh, whose hopes two years ago ended with a nine on the 500-yard 15th, took eight there and finished with a 75, while Mickelson, third the last three years, double-bogeyed the short 16th in a 72.

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 am not ready for this.

"I want to stay competitive. Jack Nicklaus won when he was 46 - I saw it all because I was playing with him. That's my age and I am 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.

Arnold Palmer, playing for the 50th and last time, turned in an 84. Needless to say, he was cheered every step of the way.

Poulter needed two closing birdies just for a 75, the same mark as Paul Casey, Ian Woosnam and Nick Faldo shot 76, while Paul Lawrie and British amateur champion Gary Wolstenholme both shot 77.

Wolstenholme was playing with Tom Watson, whose long-time caddie Bruce Edwards had died only two hours before he teed off. He had been seriously ill with Lou Gehrig's Disease for a long time.

In an emotional press conference afterwards Watson said: "Damn this disease. He's not with us in body, but he is in spirit."

Brian Davis, in the last group, was nine over after 13 and down near the rear of the field - as were John Daly and Players Championship winner Adam Scott. They shot 78 and 80 respectively.

Collated first-round scores (USA unless stated, par 72>