Rory makes the early running

Nine months on from the flyer he got in the Open at St Andrews, the 21-year-old from Northern Ireland took full advantage of fine playing conditions at Augusta to build a three-shot lead.

McIlroy, who finished third in the last two majors of last season, led American Matt Kuchar just as favourite Phil Mickelson was beginning his title defence.

Mickelson scrambled par at the first while Tiger Woods bogeyed the 10th and 11th to drop back to one over.

McIlroy shot an opening 63 in Scotland last summer – equalling the record for a major – but could only follow it up with an 80 as the wind got up on the Fife coast.

However, the warm, sunny conditions that greeted players at the start of the 75th Masters appear set to remain, offering McIlroy the chance to move second to Woods as the second youngest winner.

Deft

His first shot of the day actually found sand, but after saving par with a deft chip to two feet he birdied the next three holes from three, five and 18 feet and picked up another shot at the ninth to turn in 32.

The 505-yard par four 11th is probably the hardest hole on Augusta National, but the Holywood golfer birdied that as well.

McIlroy three-putted the long 13th for par before holing for birdie from 10 feet at the next and then getting another when he two-putted the 530-yard 15th.

Ross Fisher shared the early clubhouse lead, the Englishman – who was in the first group of the day which teed off at 7.45am – firing a three-under-par 69 to stand alongside American Brandt Snedeker.

Woods had one birdie – at the short sixth – and eight pars going out, but was still producing the odd bad swing and his back-to-back bogeys on two of the most demanding holes came as little surprise.

Playing partner and US open champion Graeme McDowell double-bogeyed the 10th to be one over as well and last year’s runner-up Lee Westwood was alongside them after a bogey at the dangerous short 12th.

World number one Martin Kaymer stood four over with five to play – the German, who missed the halfway cut on his first three trips to Augusta, matching McDowell’s six on the 10th.

Padraig Harrington was three over with two holes remaining – the Irishman still needing birdies at the 15th and 16th – while Scot Martin Laird, a winner in America a fortnight ago, had a two over 74 on his debut.

Ian Poulter, joint halfway leader with Westwood a year ago, birdied the third and sixth and remained two under starting for home – five adrift of McIlroy, but good enough to be in a tie for seventh place.

Justin Rose and Paul Casey were both one further back early in their rounds.

To the rescue

Mickelson drove left off the first tee and then missed the green, but his famed short-game skills came to the rescue immediately.

Meanwhile, Luke Donald, who won the eve-of-tournament par three contest – not exactly a portent for Masters success, it must be said – was one over after six.

Elsewhere, Retief Goosen began his round by becoming only the fifth player in the tournament’s history to make an eagle two on the 445-yard first and was only one off another record with his front nine 31.

But the twice runner-up mixed two further birdies with four bogeys in the next eight holes.

Earlier, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus – now 81 and 71 – had the honour of hitting the ceremonial opening drives as starters.