Ian Poulter holed-in-one and 50-year-old Sandy Lyle turned back the clock, but it was Justin Rose yet again who was leading The Masters alongside South African Trevor Immelman at the end of the first round.
This on a day when Tiger Woods chipped in for an eagle, but had to settle for a level-par 72 in the first leg of his Grand Slam bid.
Rose, twice the first round leader in the last five years and only one off the lead before a double bogey at the penultimate hole 12 months ago, posted a four-under-par 68.
That was a remarkable effort from the 27-year-old given that he was two over after five. Four birdies in a row and six in the next eight holes turned his day around, before he got up and down from a bunker for par on the last.
Both are one stroke ahead of US rookie Brandt Snedeker, Englishman Lee Westwood and Brain Batemen.
Ireland's Padraig Harrington shot a 74 for two over.
Sandy Lyle, 20 years to the day since he grabbed the first of four successive British wins, was only a stroke behind until he took a bogey six on the 530-yard 15th. That put him in a group on two under which included Poulter.
The former Ryder Cup player, desperate to make his presence felt after coming in for stick over magazine comments, did it in sensational style when his ace at the 170-yard 16th took him into the lead at the time.
Woods started with 12 pars in a row and then looked set to birdie or even eagle the 510-yard 13th when his four-iron second was in the air. But it skipped through the green into what he called "the worst spot he could put it". His chip failed to make the green, he took a bogey six, dropped another on the next after a wild drive, but then chipped in from just over the 15th green.
Nick Dougherty was two under after three on his debut, but finished in 74, while Luke Donald was three under after six, but fell back to 73.
Lyle's fellow 50-year-old Ian Woosnam stood two under after three, but slumped to three over.
Dane Soren Hansen and Swede Robert Karlsson had a taste of the lead too. Karlsson matched Poulter's 70, but Augusta newcomer Hansen fell away badly.
