Louis Oosthuizen's bid to end a Masters Tournament jinx got off to a good start at Augusta National when he birdied the long second and 350 yard third to set the early pace.
The South African had won the Wednesday par three competition and nobody has followed that with victory in the event proper four days later.
Although storms were predicted for later in the day conditions were perfect for the start of the tournament, but Wales' 1991 champion Ian Woosnam, now 52, bogeyed the opening hole.
Oosthuizen, who qualified for a second appearance by winning the Open de Andalucia in Malaga and moving into the world's top 50 two weeks ago, was one in front of Americans Heath Slocum and John Merrick.
Woosnam was off to a shocker, adding further bogeys on the third and fourth and then double-bogeying the next to be five over already.
Oosthuizen dropped shots himself on the fourth and sixth to return to level par and the new leader was American Brian Gay thanks to his birdies at the second and third.
Ulsterman Graeme McDowell, who had a hole-in-one during the par three event, missed a seven foot chance on the first, but two-putted the second for birdie.
At one under he was in a group which also included 60 year old Tom Watson and 52 year old Bernhard Langer. Both the former winners birdied the 445-yard first.
Luke Donald parred it, but playing partner Martin Kaymer, who has missed the cut on his two previous visits, pushed his first drive and bogeyed.
It was all rather like the calm before the storm, though, with the day building towards the reappearance of Tiger Woods at 1.42pm after nearly five months out.
