Rose and Immelman set Masters pace

Rose, also the first round pacesetter on his last two visits, and Immelman posted four-under-par 68s, while Woods chipped in for an eagle, but had to settle for a level-par 72 and a share of 19th.

"At the age of 27 you begin to say you can't keep putting it down to experience," said Rose, who finished 22nd in 2004 after a third-round 81 and a year ago ended up fifth. "This is the time to step up. But I'm not putting too much pressure on myself. Hopefully I've got a good 10-15 years ahead of me."

After a one-hour fog delay at the start of the day, Lee Westwood in the last group did not tee off until after 3pm, but moved alongside Rose and Immelman with birdies at the eighth, ninth, 11th, 13th and 15th.

But in near-darkness he three-putted the 17th and was forced to save par on the last for a 69 and share of third place with Americans Brian Bateman and Brandt Snedeker.

It was a remarkable effort from Rose who recovered from slipping to two over after five with four birdies in a row and six in the next eight holes to turn his day around.

"It's always special coming here and that extra adrenaline and nerves brought out the best in me," he added. "After the start I stayed patient. You have to remember how far there is to go."

Woods started with 12 pars in a row and then looked set to birdie or even eagle the 510-yard 13th when his four-iron second was in the air. But it skipped through the green into what he called "the worst spot you could put it". After his chip failed to make the green he took a bogey six, dropped another on the next after a wild drive, but then chipped in from just over the 15th green.

"I didn't really get anything going," said the world number one. "I hit the ball really well and the putts really well, but nothing really went. You don't really shoot low rounds here any more, though. You just plod along - it's playing more like a US Open."

Ian Poulter, who hit the 11th hole-in-one in Masters history at the 16th, Sweden's Robert Karlsson, defending champion Zach Johnson, Stephen Ames and Jim Furyk sit two adrift of Rose and Immelman, with Paul Casey, Retief Goosen and Phil Mickelson in a group at one-under-par.