It was a day to remember for Rory McIlroy and Alvaro Quiros in The Masters today - and one to forget for Pádraig Harrington and world number one Martin Kaymer.
Read 'As It Happened: Day One'.
While they shot 77 and 78 respectively - Harrington nearly pulled out with neck trouble - McIlroy charged into a two-stroke lead over Korean pair YE Yang and KJ Choi and was later joined by big-hitting Spaniard Quiros, who matched his dazzling seven-under par-65.
Where McIlroy was precision personified, Quiros had a topsy turvy round that included a lips-outs from long distance, and a visit to the a bush on 14, as well as a storming birdie finish after the last of many huge drives on 18.
Meanwhile, the 21-year-old Ulsterman's round brought back memories of his major record-equalling first round 63 in The Open at St Andrews last July.
But that is where he hopes the comparisons end - as McIlroy followed that round with an 80.
Tiger Woods, meanwhile, started with a 71, while defending champion and favourite Phil Mickelson, in the second last group of the day, was two under after escaping from the bushes with a par at the long 13th and from the trees with a birdie at the next.
Mickelson did go lower as some brilliant chipping kept his round going but a bogey after a missed six-foot putt on the last saw him slip back to two-under.
McIlroy said: 'It was not as explosive or as spectacular as St Andrews, but it was very solid and it's a great start.'
The best at The Masters, in fact, since Greg Norman's 63 in 1996.
'I felt as if my game's been really good all season and after working on my game in Florida for 10 days with my coach Michael Bannon I feel very comfortable.
'I'm still relatively inexperienced, but I feel I am pretty quick learner. There's no substitute for experience and I've still got a lot of learning to do, but I am getting there.
'It was nice to see a few putts drop in as well and hopefully I can build on it.
'I think what happened at St Andrews will be a massive help. It was a very valuable lesson in my development as a golfer.'
After saving par from the fairway bunker at the first he birdied the next three from two, five and 20 feet, making a 10-footer on the ninth to turn in 32.
The 505-yard 11th is probably Augusta's toughest hole, but he struck a five-iron to eight feet for his fifth birdie and, after three-putting the long 13th for par, picked up further shots at the next two.
First he holed from 10 feet again and then he was on in two at the par five and two-putted.
Yang, who became Asia's first major champion by beating Woods head-to-head at the 2009 US PGA, moved alongside McIlroy with a two at the short 16th, but bogeyed the last two.
Woods has not won for nearly 17 months and has been working on swing changes since August.
'You have trust it now - we're in a major championship and it's full systems go,' he said before adding that he felt he was still right in the hunt 'only six back'.
Lee Westwood, who had the big setback of a six on the long eighth after 'over-hooking' his second, had to settle for a 72 and again was not happy with his putting.
'It's how my game is at the moment,' said the world number two.
'If you can't hole it out from four feet you're going to struggle, aren't you?'
Harrington's 77 matched his worst-ever round on the course and he commented: 'I nearly pulled out before I started. I haven't even come close to swinging the club. I wanted to pull out, but I wouldn't - that's just my nature.
'But it wasn't much fun. I always have to be wary - I was swinging the left-handed shot, just warming up and it just kind of clicked.'
Kaymer is heading for a fourth-successive missed cut in the event and his 78 - the same as 1991 winner Ian Woosnam - represented a new low.
England's Ross Fisher was in the hunt after a 69, but from two under after 14 Ian Poulter dropped four shots in the last four for a 74 - the same as US Open champion Graeme McDowell, who three-putted four times in six holes at the start of the back nine, and Scottish debutant Martin Laird.
Paul Casey was one over with four to go but birdies on 15, 16 and 17 saw him reach two-under by the close. 53-year-old Sandy Lyle was in with a 73.
As for Luke Donald, who carried the curse of winning the eve-of-tournament par three competition into the main event, he was three over after 13, but then went birdie-eagle-birdie to race to one under.
Kaymer said: 'Every day that I played here was a tough day so far - maybe one day it will work out.
'There's some golf courses that suit you and some they just don't, but obviously it's frustrating if you never play well.
'I think that maybe I've got to sit down with Bernhard Langer later and ask him. He won here twice.'
