Fisher off to flier

Apr 9 2009

England's Ross Fisher made a flying start and led on his Masters debut at Augusta National on Thursday - but it could have been even better.

The 28-year-old from Wentworth, playing only the fifth major of his career, was four under par after 14 holes and one ahead of South African Tim Clark - yet had already three-putted twice on the lightning-fast greens.

Clark was trying to become the first player ever to win the eve-of-tournament par-three competition and the main event in the same week.

Runner-up to Phil Mickelson in 2006, he also had five birdies over the opening 13 holes, but for him there were also bogeys on the third and fifth.

Padraig Harrington pulled on to the pine straw with his opening drive. Short of the green in two, he scrambled a par, promptly birdied the long second and remained one under after four.

Mickelson, with a chance to take over from Tiger Woods as world number one, also birdied the second. But that followed a bogey, and he was level par after four.

Woods, seeking a 15th major and fifth green jacket, was among the later starters - as was Northern Ireland teenager Rory McIlroy.

Twice champion Bernhard Langer was a fine two under after seven, while fellow 51-year-old former winners Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam were level par and two over after 14.

Justin Rose, who remarkably has led after the first round on his last three visits, hit a spectacular fairway bunker shot to four feet for an opening birdie and remained one under after six - the same as 54-year-old Greg Norman on his return to the course after seven years.

Lee Westwood was level par at the same point. But Luke Donald bogeyed three of his first seven, and Oliver Wilson's debut at the event he once watched as an Augusta college player began with a bogey.