Rose blooms in Augusta

On his last appearance in 2004, Rose was the halfway leader but crashed to a third-round 81 and then failed to qualify for the next two years.

This time, the Englishman holed a bunker shot, took just 20 putts and handed in the only bogey-free scorecard of the opening 18 holes to share the lead with Wetterich, one shot ahead of David Howell and David Toms.

"It's exciting to go bogey-free on any course on any day, but at Augusta when the scoring is pretty high (the average was over 76) makes me very happy, that's for sure," said Rose.

It needed a 15-foot birdie at the 17th for debutant Brett Wetterich to join him at the top of the leaderboard, while Rose's English compatriot Howell made the only eagle of the day on the 530-yard 15th to move up to joint third.

Just nine players managed to break par - a group that does not include Tiger Woods - as the course played hard and fast, keeping birdies at a minimum.

Last year's runner-up Tim Clark of South Africa signed for a 71 and is joined at one under by Vaughn Taylor, Zach Johnson, Rich Beem and JJ Henry. Davis Love III alternated birdies and bogeys over the last four holes for a 72.

Woods, chasing his third successive major and 13th in all, moved just two back with birdies at the 13th and 15th - but he had swing problems all day and they cost him two closing bogeys for a 73.

Earlier, defending champion Phil Mickelson matched his worst-ever round on the course - he even needed two late birdies for a 76 - and Ernie Els slumped to a 78.

Europeans Paul Casey (79), Padraig Harrington (77), Lee Westwood (79), Darren Clarke (83) and Seve Ballesteros (86) shot their highest-ever rounds in the event.