Some remarkable players produced some remarkable scores on the opening day of The Masters - and Tiger Woods was amongst them with a four under par 68, his best start at Augusta by two shots.

Fifty-year-old Fred Couples, winner back in 1992 but having a new lease of life this season on switching to the seniors circuit, leads after achieving his best-ever round in the event.

A 66 takes Couples into day two a stroke ahead of England's Lee Westwood, Koreans KJ Choi and YE Yang and compatriots Phil Mickelson and 60-year-old Tom Watson, who a year after crashing out with an 83 improved 16 shots to revive memories of his incredible bid to win The Open last summer.

He matched his lowest-ever round at Augusta in a career that goes all the way back to 1970, while Westwood has never had a 67 before.

There was also a 69 from 52-year-old Sandy Lyle (he has not shot better than that since he won in 1988) and a 71 from 16-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero, the youngest player in Masters history.

But, inevitably, Woods was the one who carried the biggest crowd all day and he did not disappoint.

For the first time in his Masters career he had two eagles in one round - and almost a third.

This, of course, was his first tournament since a sex scandal shocked the sporting world in November. He has been in hiding and in therapy since then, but come Sunday evening he might have donned a fifth green jacket and a 15th major.

Couples, an incredible 77 under par for 12 rounds as a Champions Tour rookie, had four birdies in six holes from the 12th to move to the head of things.

Watson's was the most stunning performance, though, and he said: "It's been a wonderful week already.

"My son proposed marriage when we played the practice round and his bride-to-be didn't know anything about it.

"Everybody was in on the scam and I think a big part of my success today was having my son on the bag.

"He said 'Dad, show me. Show me you can still play this golf course.' You know what, I wanted to show him I can still play the golf course."

Westwood had four birdies in the last seven birdies and the world number four, third both in The Open and US PGA last year, said: "That's the level my game is at now.

"I don't have ins and outs - I hit every green in regulation basically today and you can be relaxed if you are confident."

He was most pleased with his bunker shot at the long 15th - one of seven birdies - and commented: "You probably won't see a better one all day, maybe all week."

Aside from his golf Woods had to be thrilled by the ovation he received - but not so thrilled by the banner trailing a light plane that circled overhead.

It read "Tiger - did you mean bootyism", a play on the fact that Woods says he has returned to Buddhism in his attempt to mend his ways.

He appeared to take no notice as he followed two opening pars with a pitch to five feet on the third for his first birdie since he won the Australian Masters 144 days ago.

After bogeying the seventh he made an eight-footer on the eighth for only his second-ever eagle on the hole. His first was in the final round last year.

Seemingly in trouble when he pulled his drive close to the trees down the ninth he hooked his approach some 40 yards and made the 10-foot putt for birdie and an outward 33.

After another bogey at the 10th he lipped out for eagle at the 13th, but made no mistake two holes later.

He might easily have been joint second rather than joint seventh - with Ian Poulter amongst others - but missed from under five feet on the last.

Paul Casey was three under with five to play, but chipped into the lake on the 15th, ran up an eight and fell away to 75.

Bernhard Langer struck another blow for the golden oldies with a 71. And the 52-year-old even bogeyed the last two for that.

Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington all had disappointing 74s, while Graeme McDowell matched Casey's score, Simon Dyson's debut brought a 77 and Chris Wood, another first-timer, took eight down the second and recorded a 78, the same as Oliver Wilson.

Amid all the personal bests, however, 52-year-old Ian Woosnam matched his worst ever with an 81.

Collated first-round scores in the The Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC, Augusta, Georgia, United States of America (USA unless stated, par 72): 66 Fred Couples 67 Phil Mickelson, K J Choi (Kor), Tom Watson, Y.E. Yang (Kor), Lee Westwood (Eng) 68 Ricky Barnes, Nick Watney, Tiger Woods, Anthony Kim, Ian Poulter (Eng) 69 Adam Scott (Aus), Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Trevor Immelman (Rsa), David Toms, Sandy Lyle (Sco) 70 Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Francesco Molinari (Ita), Zach Johnson, Yuta Ikeda (Jpn), Matt Kuchar 71 Bernhard Langer (Ger), John Senden (Aus), Metteo Manassero (Ita), Robert Karlsson (Swe), Dustin Johnson, Hunter Mahan, Ben Crane, Steve Marino, Mike Weir (Can), Ernie Els (Rsa) 72 Jerry Kelly, John Merrick, Heath Slocum, Kenny Perry, Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn), Nathan Green (Aus), Sean O'Hair, Bill Haas, Robert Allenby (Aus), Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Ryan Palmer, Marc Leishman (Aus), Ryan Moore 73 Steve Stricker, Brad Benjamin, Ben Curtis, Angel Cabrera (Arg), Scott Verplank 74 Nathan Smith, Retief Goosen (Rsa), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Soren Hansen (Den), Brian Gay, Todd Hamilton, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Thongchai Jaidee (Tha), Kevin Na, Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Camilo Villegas (Col), Luke Donald (Eng), Padraig Harrington (Irl) 75 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa), Jason Dufner, Graeme McDowell (NIrl), Steve Flesch, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Alvaro Quiros (Spa), Ben Martin, John Rollins, Justin Leonard, Mark O'Meara, Paul Casey (Eng), Tim Clark (Rsa), Shingo Katayama (Jpn) 76 Vijay Singh (Fij), Lucas Glover, David Duval, Stewart Cink, Martin Kaymer (Ger), Larry Mize, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 77 Ross Fisher (Eng), Ben Crenshaw, Simon Dyson (Eng) 78 Chris Wood (Eng), Byeong-hun An (Kor), Oliver Wilson (Eng) 79 Chang-won Han (Kor), Chad Campbell, Craig Stadler 80 Jim Furyk, Anders Hansen (Den), Henrik Stenson (Swe) 81 Ian Woosnam (Wal) 83 Michael Campbell (Nzl)