Ireland's Darren Clarke found himself the first-round leader of the Masters while pre-favourite Tiger Woods, bidding to become the first player in history to win three straight Masters, was left struggling.
While the 34-year-old Ulsterman was shrugging off the soggy conditions that had forced organsiers to schedule both the first and second rounds Friday, the world number one was in trouble from the start.
The 27-year-old Woods found himself having to chip-in from off the green from 20 feet to salvage a bogey on the opening hole.
Woods allowed himself a wry smile as he walked to the second tee, knowing he had escaped from what threatened to be a double or triple bogey.
But the world number one continued to struggle and found himself three over after nine.
Woods then dropped another at the 10th to be 10 shots off the lead.
Woods was not helped by a cold putter. He had at least three birdie chances from within 10 feet and each time he watched in disbelief as the ball slipped past each time.
Clarke had warned before the start that he was striking the ball the best he has been for a long time and it showed.
Starting at the 10th, he opened with a birdie and by the time he reached the turn he was four under.
Another birdie came on the first, his 10th hole, when he split the fairway with his drive and hit his second to within three feet. Two holes later, another birdie had him firmly atop the leaderboard.
Clarke finished at six-under par 66.
Chasing Clarke was fellow Ryder Cup teammate Sergio Garcia. Garcia arrived here suffering from a lack of confidence, admitting he was in the middle of trying to change his swing and his putting stroke.
But neither change seemed to be harming the Spanish wonderkid and he quickly got himself to five-under after 11 holes.
But his bubble burst when he bogeyed the par-four 7th, his 16th, and dropped another shot on the final hole after a wayward drive into the trees to shot a three-under 69.
Former PGA and British Open champion Nick Price and Canadian Mike Weir were only four shots back of Clarke thanks to two-under 70s.
For Zimbabwe's Price, it was a roller-coaster of a round. He quickly got it to two under after only three holes but promptly gave them back before getting back to two-under after 13 holes and managing to hold on to the finish.
"Very wet," was all Price would say as he prepared to get ready for the second round
Ireland's Padraig Harrington and Davis Love came into the tournament as favourites to put an end to Wood's winning streak here but neither player could live up to their pre-championship billing.
Harrington, joint winner with David Toms in the par-three tournament, dropped a shot at hhe second. More dropped shots saw him slip to four-over before a birdie got him back to three-over.
But a miserable inward nine put him at six-over at plenty left to do in his second round if he was to stay around for the weekend.
Love was only a shot better, carding a five-over 77. World number two Ernie Els failed to get the quick start he was looking for.
The South African, who started on the 10th tee, opened bogey, bogey and by the time he reached the 18th tee he was still two-over.
Two more bogeys and a double on the way home saw him slump to a seven-over 79.
In the battle of the 'young guns' which saw Charles Howell, Adam Scott and Justin Rose all in the same group, it was the Englishman who was leading. Rose was one-under, Howell one-over and Scott six-over after seventeen holes.
Augusta officials hoped to get in 36 holes on Friday to get them back on track but with first rounds taking more than 5 1/2 hours, it was doubtful that would be possible.
As least officals had something to smile about when a watery sunshine began to give way to blue skies.
Since a series of rain storms swept through the area since Sunday, nearly four inches of rain has fallen, soaking the course.
"This course will just not take anymore rain," said Will Nicholson, chairman of competition committees.