US Masters: Chad Campbell felt the heat and missed out on a piece of golfing history when The Masters began at an unusually friendly Augusta National today. Campbell was a magical nine-under par with three holes to play and one more birdie would have made him the first man ever to score 62 in any of the sport's four biggest events.

Even three pars would have equalled the course record and put him alongside 21 other players who have achieved 63 in majors, but the 34-year-old Texan found sand on the 17th and 18th, bogeyed them both but with a 65 still leads by one from Hunter Mahan and Jum Furyk.

Padraig Harrington was happy enough with his 69, but to win a third successive major the Open and US PGA champion will have to come from at least four back. Tiger Woods looked like being even further adrift, however. The world number one, seeking his fifth green jacket and 15th major, was only one under with six to play.

Phil Mickelson, who could take top spot off him this weekend, managed only a 73, as did world number three Sergio Garcia.

As the opening round drew towards its close Harrington, doing a brilliant job of handling all the pressure on him, was in a share of 14th place.

Graeme McDowell and England’s Ross Fisher were alongside him, but both reached five under before emulating Campbell with closing back-to-back bogeys.

Rory McIlroy, in the last group of the day just behind Woods, was one under after a birdie at the seventh, but bogeyed the eighth and 10th.

Lee Westwood, Bernhard Langer and Miguel Angel Jimenez returned 70s — and so did 54-year-old Greg Norman as he returned to the event after a seven-year gap courtesy of his third-place finish in last July’s Open at Birkdale.

Ian Poulter was round in 71 and Sunday’s Houston Open winner Paul Casey stood level par alongside Sandy Lyle after 16, but Justin Rose, incredibly the leader after the first day on his last three visits to the course, came nowhere near to doing the same.

Double bogeys at the 11th, 12th and 17th contributed to a 74 matched by Ian Woosnam, while Luke Donald eagled the 15th, but had turned in 40 and finished with a 73, the same as former Augusta college player Oliver Wilson and Garcia.

As one Campbell shone New Zealand namesake Michael was last after an eight-over 80. Even Gary Player at 73 in his record 52nd and last Masters shot two better than that.