Martin Kaymer, one of the few golfers in the world to have shot a 59, sparkled again today when he began the £2million Portugal Masters in Vilamoura with an 11 under par 61.  Rising Irish star Rory McIlory is 10 shots off his lead.

The 22-year-old German rookie left the rest of the star-studded field trailing in his wake by equalling the lowest round of the European Tour season and clipping two strokes off the Oceanico Victoria Club's course record.

Kaymer leads by three from Argentina's Daniel Vancsik and Swede Martin Erlandsson, with Lee Westwood and Retief Goosen in the group four back and Order of Merit title hopeful Justin Rose eight behind.

It was in a mini-tour event in his home country in June last year that Kaymer fired his 59, holing an 18-foot putt on the final green to add to 11 other birdies, an eagle and even a bogey.   There was still one more round to play in the tournament, but he closed with a 10 under 62 and won by 10.

The Dusseldorf golfer missed six of his first seven halfway cuts on entering the main circuit this season, but since then has posted second and third place finishes and stands 54th on the money list with more than £375,000.

Now he has a chance to almost double that and move into the top 20 after finishing his day's work with five successive birdies for an inward 29.

"The weather was perfect and I was waiting for this day for a couple of weeks," he said.  "I've been playing really good, but my putting was so-so. Today every putt went in."

Rose needs to finish first or second to leap ahead of Els and Padraig Harrington in the money list race and after suffering a recurrence of back trouble last weekend was delighted to kick off with two birdies.

Then, however, he hooked into the lake down the long 12th, ran up a double bogey seven and had to wait nine holes for his next birdie.

His 69 was still better than some other notables managed. Darren Clarke shot 70 and McIlroy admitted that after finishing third and fourth in his second and third professional events tiredness had a lot to do with his 71.

"This is my sixth week out of seven and I struggled with my ball-striking and my putting," said the 18-year-old. "I let a few things get to me."

Peter Lawrie carded an opening round 67 and leads the Irish challenge at five-under par.  Gary Murphy is one shot further adrift with Paul McGinley and Damien McGrane both in contention at three under.