Hampshire's Justin Rose made a dream return to Augusta National, shooting a three-under-par 69 to join American Brett Wetterich at the top of the leaderboard after the opening round at the Masters.

On his last appearance in 2004 Rose was the halfway pace-setter, but crashed to a third-round 81 and then failed to qualify for the next two years.

However, the Englishman made up for that in the first round as he holed a bunker shot, took just 20 putts and handed in the only bogey-free scorecard of the opening 18 holes to share the lead with Wetterich, one shot ahead of David Howell and David Toms.

"It's exciting to go bogey-free on any course on any day, but at Augusta when the scoring is pretty high (the average was over 76) makes me very happy, that's for sure," said Rose.

It needed a 15-foot birdie at the 17th for debutant Brett Wetterich to join him at the top of the leaderboard, while Rose's English compatriot Howell made the only eagle of the day on the 530-yard 15th to move up to joint third.

Just nine players managed to break par - a group that does not include Tiger Woods - as the course played hard and fast, keeping birdies at a minimum.

Last year's runner-up, South African Tim Clark signed for a 71 and is joined at one-under by Vaughn Taylor, Zach Johnson, Rich Beem and JJ Henry. Davis Love III alternated birdies and bogeys over the last four holes for a 72.

Woods, chasing his third successive major and 13th in all, moved just two back with birdies at the 13th and 15th, but he had swing problems all day and they cost him two closing bogeys for "only" a 73.

Earlier, defending champion Phil Mickelson matched his worst-ever round on the course - he even needed two late birdies for a 76 - and Ernie Els slumped to a 78.

Europeans Paul Casey (79), Padraig Harrington (77), Lee Westwood (79), Darren Clarke (83) and Seve Ballesteros (86) shot their highest ever rounds in the event.

Tiger Woods, meanwhile, came off Augusta National fuming last night.

Not because of his position four off the lead in the Masters, but because of how he finished.

In the trees off the tee at the 17th and 18th, the world number one bogeyed both after birdies at the 13th and 15th had lifted him right into the thick of things.

"I went from right there to all of a sudden over par," said Woods between handing in a 73 and heading off to the driving range.

"I battled back and then threw it away. I'm not real happy about that. I just need to get a couple of things organised."

Despite four wins on the course, Woods has never broken 70 in the first round. Two years ago he came back from an opening 74 and seven back to win.

That will encourage him, but defending champion Phil Mickelson was fighting hard not to be discouraged after a first day 76 that matched his worst-ever round at Augusta.

The last time he started with that score was 1997 and he missed his only halfway cut - while Woods was going on to win by a record 12 shots, of course.

"My putting was terrible - I missed so many short ones," said the left-hander.

Ernie Els, yet to win a green jacket, fared even worse with a 78 and while Scotland's US amateur champion Richie Ramsay is only alongside Mickelson that made him top amateur overnight - and on course to become the first British amateur to make the cut since Peter McEvoy in 1978.