Watson responds superbly to son's request to help put returning Woods in shade

Twelve months after crashing out of the event with an 83 – his worst round in a career at Augusta that goes back 40 years – the remarkable Watson matched his best score with a five-under-par 67.

This, of course, nine months after he was one putt away from winning the Open at Turnberry and becoming the oldest major champion in history by 11 years.

"It's been a wonderful week," he said. "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 (yesterday) 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."

The score was then matched by England's Lee Westwood thanks to four birdies in the last seven holes and the world No 4, third both in the Open and

US PGA last year, said: "That's my lowest ever round here, never mind the first round.

"But that's the level my game is at now. I don't have ins and outs. I hit every green in regulation basically and you can be relaxed if you are confident."

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

There were others off to flying starts as well and by mid-afternoon Watson and Westwood had become part of a four-way tie.

Also in with 67s and sharing the lead were Phil Mickelson, like Watson a two-time champion, and YE Yang, the Korean who pushed Woods into second place at golf's last major.

As for the world No 1, he had to be thrilled first by the ovation he received and then by covering the first six holes in one under, but not so much 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 after the shocking sex scandal that erupted last November.

This is his first tournament since then and 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 145 days ago.

Woods missed an eight-foot putt and had his first bogey on the seventh, but a glorious long-iron approach to the 570-yard next gave him an eagle opportunity from similar range.

Despite some strong gusts of winds as he stood over the putt he made it and so leapt to two under and joint 10th place.

Watson, who has not made the halfway cut at the course for the last eight years, did not have a bogey on his card.

At the other end of the age scale, 16-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero, the youngest player in Masters history thanks to his British Amateur triumph last June, showed what a prodigious talent he is by signing for a 71.

Welshman Ian Woosnam, now 52, carded 81 to match his worst Masters round, while Oliver Wilson could do no better than 78, Graeme McDowell 75, Luke Donald 74 and Paul Casey 75.

Malton's Simon Dyson got round in 77, while 1988 winner Sandy Lyle shot a three-under-par 69.