GOLF: US MASTERS FIRST ROUND:THE VAGARIES of Augusta National, more than any other course, would truly torment a saint. It bestows favours on some, connives on others. A year ago, Rory McIlroy left this august sporting arena wondering what the gods had against him as he missed the cut.

Yesterday, the 21-year-old Ulsterman conquered the course like a chosen son, shooting a first-round, bogey-free 65, seven under par, to lay down a marker in this 75th edition of the US Masters.Yesterday, the 21-year-old Ulsterman conquered the course like a chosen son, shooting a first-round, bogey-free 65, seven under par, to lay down a marker in this 75th edition of the US Masters.

On a beautifully sunny day, McIlroy – for one – could smell the azaleas, for sure. In contrast, Pádraig Harrington laboured to a 77, his Major all but over before it started after he suffered a recurrence of an old neck injury while swinging left-handed during his warm-up routine on the range.

“It just sort of clicked and I’m not able to move to my right,” said Harrington, who admitted he would have withdrawn from the tournament if it wasn’t a major.

“Such is life,” he added, claiming that “pride” alone would ensure he would tee up in the second round.

Oh, to be young. Twelve months ago, McIlroy was hampered by an injury of his own, a niggling back problem which has since seen him become more conscious of what he does in his off-time – less five-a-side football and fewer games of tennis – but, also, has led to him spending more time in the gym to ensure that his back muscles remain strong.

Yesterday was one of those days that don’t come along too often, near-flawless golf with chance after chance and which resulted in McIlroy assuming a position atop the leaderboard, two shots clear of former US PGA champion YE Yang of South Korea.

He’s been here before, of course, in a Major: at last year’s British Open at St Andrews, where he shot an opening 63 only to be blown off course with a second round 80 before recovering to finish third.

“I wouldn’t say it was as spectacular as my 63 at St Andrews, but it was very solid from start to finish. I think (what happened at St Andrews) will be a massive help to me. Looking back, it was a valuable lesson in my development. It’s possible I can go out and shoot another 65, but I know it’s also very likely that I’m not going to do that. I’m going to have to stick in there, to grind it out and that’s something I feel I’ve learned to do since St Andrews,” said McIlroy.

On a day when the course dispensed many favours, with barely a breath of wind and greens more receptive than they have been in recent years, or will be over the weekend as they firm up yet further, McIlroy led the birdie assault. Only Yang threatened to dislodge him. However, the Korean – who joined McIlroy on seven under with a birdie on the 16th – bogeyed the 17th and 18th en route to a 67.

Harrington wasn’t alone in feeling the wrath of fate. World number one Martin Kaymer – who has never made a cut here – opened with a 78, while Ernie Els struggled to a 75 and Tiger Woods recovered from a wobbly start to his back nine, when he had back-to-back bogeys on the 10th and 11th, to shoot a 71.

“I’d rather be where Rory’s at. But, hey, it’s a long way to go. We have a long grind ahead of us,” said Woods.

Yes, this was very much McIlroy’s day, one where he took a step towards emulating his friend Graeme McDowell – who opened with a 74, describing it was “a frustrating day” – as a Major champion. Yesterday’s were small steps for McIlroy, but important ones.

McIlroy had seven birdies – at the second, where he sensibly laid-up short of the green and got up and down; the third (holing from four feet), fourth (from 20 feet), ninth (10 feet), 11th (eighth feet), 14th (four feet) and 15th (two putts) – for a 65.

“It sounds easy, but it wasn’t,” quipped McIlroy, rubbing his hand across his brow as if to emphasis that you need always be on guard around Augusta.

It helped, too, that McIlroy was in a comfortable environment from the off. His playing partners – Rickie Fowler and Jason Day – may have been making their major debuts, but they are all of a similar age and talked of cars and boats and anything other than golf as they worked their way through the azaleas and the magnolias.

“I’ve gotten to know them pretty well the last couple of years. It definitely helps,” he said of the draw.

Yet, despite his youth, McIlroy played like a man of experience. “This is my ninth Major. I’ve played a Ryder Cup and I’ve had three top-threes in majors.

“I’m still relatively inexperienced but I feel as if I’m a pretty quick learner. I mean, there’s no substitute for experience, especially in major championships, and I still feel as if I have a lot of learning to do.”

And the game-plan for the next three rounds?

“Just to be patient, to realise that you don’t need to play spectacular golf for 72 holes to win. You just have to hang in there, and grind it out and stay patient.”

Easier said than done, of course.

Second Round Tee-Times

12.45pm – C Schwartzel, S Appleby, C Hoffman. 12.56pm – I Woosnam, DA Points, B Crane. 1.07pm – C Stadler, K Streelman, N Smith. 1.18pm – P Hanson, K-T Kim, R Moore. 1.29pm – A Cabrera, I Poulter, D Toms. 1.40pm – T Immelman, L Glover, H Matsuyama. 1.51pm – Z Johnson, YE Yang, MA Jimenez. 2.02pm – D Love, J-M Olazabal, L Kim. 2.13pm – T Watson, R Barnes, J Bohn. 2.24pm – F Couples, L Donald, S Stricker. 2.35pm – A Kim, H Stenson, S Marino. 2.57pm – P Casey, B Watson, E Molinari. 3.08pm – S Cink, J Furyk, Y Ikeda. 3.19pm – KJ Choi, J Rose, L Oosthuizen. 3.30pm – G Ogilvy, P Mickelson, P Uihlein. 3.41pm – J Vegas, G Woodland, A Quiros. 3.52pm – J Byrd, R Fisher, S O’Hair. 4.03pm – S Lyle, A Cejka, D Chung. 4.14pm – J Kelly, C Villegas, J Overton. 4.25pm – B Crenshaw, B Snedeker, K Na. 4.36pm – M O’Meara, A Hansen, H Slocum. 4.47pm – D Johnson, A Scott, N Watney. 5.09pm – V Singh, T Clark, A Baddeley. 5.20pm – G Havret, C Pettersson, R Palmer. 5.31pm – M Wilson, M Laird, B Van Pelt. 5.42pm – R McIlroy, R Fowler, J Day. 5.53pm – M Weir, H Fujita, R Goosen. 6.04pm – P Harrington, R Ishikawa, B Haas. 6.15pm – R Sabbatini, L Mize, J Jeong. 6.26pm – M Kaymer, L Westwood, M Kuchar. 6.37pm – E Els, H Mahan, F Molinari. 6.48pm – G McDowell, T Woods, R Allenby. 6.59pm – A Atwal (Ind), S Garcia, R Karlsson.