US Masters: On a perfect day for scoring at Augusta National, Padraig Harrington's bid for a third successive major title got off to a smooth start following an opening round of 69. At three-under, the Dubliner is well-placed to challenge leader Chad Campbell.

It was a better score than Harrington had produced in the opening round either at The Open or the US PGA last year. But a bogey six on the long 15th — a hole which has got the better of him several times in the past — was a blow Harrington could have done without.

Rory McIlroy, in the last group of the day just behind Woods, started with six straight pars, but moved into red figures with a birdie at the seventh. However, the teenager has since moved back to one-over.

And Graeme McDowell, who spoke yesterday of coming in under the radar as Harrington and McIlory attracted the media attention from an Irish perspective, raced out of the blocks with birdies at his first two holes. A bogey at the fourth stalled his momentum but further birdies would follow as he joined Harrington on three-under.

It is hard to imagine Woods giving a television interview just before embarking on such an important test, but Harrington was prepared to before he teed off.

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 in spite of the fact that he pulled it onto the pine straw.

Short of the green in two, he scrambled a par and promptly birdied the long second. He did bogey the short sixth, but birdied again two holes later and was probably just where he wanted to be when he picked up more strokes on the 12th and 13th.

However, the 15th was where he finished with a triple-bogey eight two years ago and this time, having laid up short of the lake, he pitched over the green and failed to get up and down.

He saved a good par at the short next after going way too long, birdied the 440-yard 17th and almost made another from 15 feet on the last.

“That was definitely one of the more generous days ever here,” he said after the round. “Thursday is all about staying in the tournament, but you’ve got to feel it’s going to get tougher.

“At some stage I really expect a course that’s really difficult, right to the limit.”