Quiros joins McIlroy on top

The Northern Irishman led the field for most of the day, with YE Yang briefly joining him before dropping off the pace, but the very last group of the day provided a joint leader in the shape of Spaniard Quiros.

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 Korean YE Yang by two with American Matt Kuchar and South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel one shot further back on four under.

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.

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 five bogeys in the next nine holes to close with a two under 70.

Tiger Woods, meanwhile, started with a three-birdie, two-bogey 71, while defending champion and favourite Phil Mickelson, in the second-last group of the day, started with seven straight pars before making his first birdie at the long eighth.

Lee Westwood, who made a six on the eighth after hooking his second, had to settle for a level-par 72 but it was a day to forget for both Padraig Harrington and world number one Martin Kaymer.

Worst round

They shot 77 and 78 respectively, with Harrington nearly pulling out with neck trouble before equalling his worst ever round at the Masters.

Kaymer appears to be heading for a fourth successive missed cut, the German standing in joint-last place in the clubhouse with 59-year-old Ben Crenshaw.

Swede Henrik Stenson, meanwhile, turned in a nine-over 45 that included a quintuple bogey eight on the 240-yard fourth.

Ian Poulter was looking good on two under before a late collapse saw him double bogey the 18th after bogeys on 15 and 16 and he finished two over for the day.

Sandy Lyle, winner in 1988, carded a 73, fellow Scot Martin Laird shot 74 on his debut, the same as US Open champion Graeme McDowell.

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