Masters - Day One

European hopes are high after the first day's play as Rory McIlroy and Alvaro Quiros share the lead at seven under after both carding 65's to lead by two shots.

McIlroy sparked the tournament into life early on with some scintillating iron play to birdie three out of the first four holes and then added another on the ninth to go out in 32.

The youngest ever first round leader had more birdies on the 11th, 14th and 15th but his score could have been better as he missed relatively easy birdie putts on the 16th and 18th.

Everyone will remember his opening 63 in the Open Championship last year, which was then followed up by an 80 on a wind swept day at the home of golf. So we shouldn't get carried away but he has vowed to learn from the valuable lessons he got last year:

"I'm not taking anything for granted," he said. "It's a good start but that's all it is. I didn't really put a foot wrong - that's what you need to do here and that's what you need to do in major championships is limit your mistakes.

"Today I didn't have any. I felt I made a good up-and-down at the first to sort of get my round going and after that I played really solid golf, hitting the ball where I wanted to and picking my targets and committing to them.

"I know better than anyone else what can happen after you lead in the first round of a major. St Andrews is going to be big on my mind but I've learned from it and I'll be better prepared to go out and shoot a good score."

Quiros

For big hitting Quiros it was a memorable day after bettering his previous best round at Augusta by 10 shots.

After being five under through 13 holes, his first bogey came when he hit a tree at the 14th with his second shot which then flew off at right angles. A bogey was the best he could hope for after that as he got up and down from 130 yards. He replied straight away with a birdie at the 15th and then gave the crowds who stuck around the watch the final group, something to cheer with birdies on the 17th and 18th.

Two Korean's wanted to join the party but both ended the day on five under in somewhat different fashions. The first Asian player to win a major YE Yang briefly joined McIlroy at the top of the leader board. The 2008 US PGA champion should of had thoughts of taking the outright lead but bogeyed the final two holes.

However, It was a different story for KJ Choi as his late charge of five birdies in the last six holes ties him up with Yang.

Best of the rest

Other notables who posted good scores on day one are the American pair of Ricky Barnes and Matt Kuchar who are on four under.

Below them South African's Charles Schwartzel and previous winner Trevor Immelman are on three under along with the resurgent Sergio Garcia and England's Ross Fisher who was in the first group out.

Big Names

Defending champion Phil Mickelson struggled with his much publicised driver all day and scrambled his way to a two under par 70 along with Retief Goosen who had the shot of the day getting off to a perfect start by holing his second shot at the first.

Tiger Woods was pleased with his one under 71 who is a shot in front of a host of players on level par including English pair of Luke Donald and Lee Westwood who again struggled on the greens.

Bad day at the office

Ian Poulter was going along nicely at two under standing on the 15th tee, but played the last four holes in four over after double bogeying the last to finish two over. Poulter was rattled after his second shot on the 13th was looking certain to hit the par-5 in two but then hit a sprinkler head and shot through the green into a bunker. He never fully recovered after that.

He is joined by Graeme McDowell who endured a frustrating day with his putter. It was worst news for the World Number one Martin Kaymer who looks set to miss his fourth cut in a row at Augusta after a round of 78 putting him six over.

Projected cut is 44 players and ties from the leader which at the minute is level par. All those over par as it stands will not be around at the weekend.

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