US Masters: Tim Clark paid little heed to the Masters hoodoo today as he set the early pace at Augusta National. The South African, winner of the par three competition yesterday from which no-one has gone on to claim the tournament proper, holds the clubhouse lead on four-under.

Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell spearhead the Irish challenge on one-under, just three off the early pace. Harrington turned in 35 after birdies at the second and eighth with a single bogey coming on the short par-three sixth.

McDowell, who spoke yesterday of coming in under the radar as Harrington and Rory McIlory attracted the media attention from an Irish perspective, raced out of the blocks with birdies at his first two holes but the Ulsterman then gave a shot back at the fourth and remains one-under through five.

Ross Fisher had led for most of the day but back-to-back bogeys on 17 and 18 left him on three-under alongside Kevin Sutherland and Prayad Marksaeng.

Fisher had initially taken advantage of ideal scoring conditions on a glorious spring day in Georgia, reaching five-under with two to play before his late collapse cost him the lead.

Fisher is playing only the fifth major of his career, but has already made his mark in the United States this season with a fourth-place finish in the WGC-Match Play in Arizona.

In near-perfect early morning conditions the European Open champion sank eight-foot birdie putts on the second and third, then converted a 12-foot chance on the short sixth.

A 25-footer followed at the 570-yard eighth, but he turned in 33 after sending his approach to the ninth 30 feet long and three-putting for bogey.

It did not take the wind out of his sails at that point, though. Saving par from seven feet at the 10th kept him at three under and then he fired in a wonderful approach to three feet at the difficult 505-yard par four 11th.

After lipping out from 15 feet on the next he was on in two at the long 13th, but from 20 feet he sent his eagle putt six feet past, missed the return and walked off with only a par.

He holed from similar range for another birdie at the short 16th, but as the wind began to pick up he caught the greenside trap on the next and could not recover from driving into another bunker at the last.

Clark also collected six birdies, but his only bogeys came on the fourth and sixth.

It is hard to imagine Tiger Woods giving a television interview just before embarking on a major — Woods was among today’s later starters — but Harrington was prepared to as he arrived for his bid for a third successive one.

The Open and US PGA champion said that for him part of the key was “to smile and not get too intense”.

“I have to enjoy the challenge and see it as a challenge. I’ve got to stay patient and see what happens,” he commented.

True to his word, he had a smile on his face as he walked up to an opening drive despite having pulled it onto the pine straw.

Short of the green in two, he scrambled a par, promptly birdied the long second and added another on the long eighth.

World number one Woods, an overwhelming favourite to clinch his 15th major title this week, was among the late starters with McIlroy out in the last grouping of the day.

The 73rd edition of the Masters was launched under clear early morning skies when four-time champion Arnold Palmer hit the ceremonial first shot at the par-four opening hole.

The 79-year-old American, a crowd favourite at Augusta since his debut in 1955, struck his drive down the right side of the fairway, sparking applause from the spectators crammed around the tee.

Ten minutes later, 1991 champion Ian Woosnam struck the tournament's first competitive shot by teeing off at the first.