A burning sun was high in the sky over Georgia when Arnold Palmer walked into history yesterday in the 63rd US Masters. While Tiger Woods was staging a spectacular recovery and Darren Clarke fought a back injury, Palmer was making a record, 45th successive appearance here.

By late afternoon, however, bright sunshine had given way to an electric storm, causing play to be suspended for 95 minutes. The upshot was that 12 players will be in action early this morning, completing their first round in the hope of catching the joint leaders, Brandel Chamblee, Davis Love and Scott McCarron on 69.

An eventful day was also notable for some key European performances. Colin Montgomerie shot a two-under-par 70 for his best start in eight Masters appearances and Jose-Maria Olazabal, the 1994 champion, matched that score after an eagle on the long 13th. But Nick Faldo's torment continued with a crushing 80.

A strong American presence on the leaderboard is enhanced by "major" winners Lee Janzen, Justin Leonard and Jeff Sluman in a group on 70. Then there is man-of-the-moment David Duval, who survived three successive bogeys on the homeward journey, to be one under through a birdie on the 17th, before play ended for the day.

Finishing in the dusk was quite a contrast to the lunchtime scene when crowds lined the first fairway as golf's undisputed king acknowledged their cheers with a now familiar wave of the hand. In a blue shirt, light-grey slacks and a visor, 69-year-old Palmer embarked on what was essentially ceremonial golf. The fact that he went on to score 83 hardly mattered.

Clarke was in the next three-ball and it soon became apparent that the Tyroneman was having problems with his back. As early as the long second, he spoke to his father Godfrey, in the gallery, complaining that he bad pulled a muscle in his lower back on the practice ground immediately prior to the round.

As it happened, he hit a glorious, 260-yard five-wood second shot which came to rest on the green, 35 feet right of the hole for a two-putt birdie. So he had recovered the shot he lost through three-putting the first.

Further problems came his way at the third, however, where he called a penalty stroke on himself when his ball moved slightly after he had addressed it on the green. And he three-putted for further bogeys at the fourth and sixth. Then came the second of his only two birdies of the round, as he reached the green at the 550-yard eighth with a three-wood second shot.

Though he had come here with decidedly moderate form, solid striking in practice promised better than an outward 38. Clearly, the back was a problem and it was to his credit that he dropped only one further stroke in an interrupted homeward journey.

That came at the long 15th, which he three-putted. He was on the 17th when play was halted and on returning to the course, completed a par there and another one at the last, where he got down in two excellent putts from 50 feet. "I felt a few twinges from the back throughout the round, but I don't think it's serious," he said afterwards. "It's the first time I've had this sort of problem and as a precaution, I swung more easily. I got nothing on the greens, even though I didn't putt badly."

When Woods made a record-breaking surge to the title in 1997, his opening round comprised an outward 40 followed by an inward 30. Given the manner of yesterday's effort, it was as if he had decided on this as a fruitful strategy.

On this occasion, an outward 38 included an ugly eight at the long eighth, where, after driving into trees, he elected to play a rather ambitious recovery shot and lost the election. In fact he was forced to take a penalty drop when his ball ricocheted into an azalea bush.

By that stage, Woods was less than pleased with his progress and seemed set to smash a seven iron across his knee. But reason prevailed and after flying the green with his fifth, he chipped and two-putted for an eight.

In the event, the fight-back started on the short 12th, which he birdied from eight feet. And he also birdied the next, which he reduced to a three wood, six iron and two putts from 30 feet and the 14th where a 12 footer found the target. But the re-designed 17th cost him a stroke, forcing him to settle for a level par 72.

"Left on the eighth is one place you don't want to be," said Woods ruefully. "But in the past when I was two over, I would try and be aggressive right away. Now, I tell myself to be patient, while concentrating on all the holes I have left."

He added: "At worst, I should have made a double-bogey at the eighth."

The 18th took a heavy toll on Ernie Els, turning a potential 69 into a disappointing 71 after he was twice bunkered and then three-putted for a double-bogey six.

"When you get to three under par, you try to finish three under, or better," said the South African, with crushing pragmatism.

Montgomerie appeared a model of intense concentration while progressing to the sort of start he could hardly have imagined. "I'm actually quite happy," he said afterwards. "I'm comfortable playing the course the way it is."

The big Scot went on: "There's a lot of decisions to be made out there. It's a mental exercise, particularly in view of the difficult pin placements. I feel fortunate in having had a morning start because conditions were certainly becoming a bit tricky towards the end of the round."

Olazabal emphasised the inspirational nature of this place, particularly for a past champion, by saying: "When I walked to the first tee, I put all my heart and soul into it."

His reward came at the long 13th where, after an indifferent drive, his four-iron approach took a lucky bounce up onto the green where he holed a 25-foot putt.