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ENGLISH duo Justin Rose and Ian Poulter took the US Masters by storm on the first day at Ausgusta.

While hot favourite Tiger Woods began with nine straight pars, Rose had six birdies in eight holes from the sixth and finished two ahead of Poulter with a four under par 68.

Woods slipped to two over after 14, but then chipped in for an eagle at the 15th and finished with a level par 72.

That was four behind joint leaders Rose and South African Trevor Immelman.

Poulter, desperate to make his presence felt at the Masters after coming in for stick over magazine comments, did it in sensational style when a hole-in-one briefly took him into the lead.

Poulter, mocked for stating that when he fulfils his potential it will be just me and Tiger'', became the 11th player in the tournament's history to make an ace on the 170-yard 16th.

The eight-iron shot and the crowd's reaction, which he said made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, enabled him to post the clubhouse target until Rose and 50-year-old Sandy Lyle went past him.

Lyle was three under with five to play and was joined on that mark by defending champion Zach Johnson.

Luke Donald and debutant Nick Dougherty all had spells out in front.

I still think reaching world number two is achievable,'' commented Poulter after what he described as probably one of the best rounds I've ever played''.

He continued: If I work hard and keep playing like this, who knows? It was an unbelievable buzz at the 16th. To hole it you need a little bit of luck, but I flushed it.

There was an instant adrenalin rush - probably the biggest I've had.'' It had a knock-on effect at the next when he went over the green and bogeyed, but it was his only one of the day. He birdied the long second and parred everything else.

It was pretty much a flawless ball-striking round.'' he concluded.

It was his fourth hole-in-one in tournament play.

Close friend Rose, who was in contention before double-bogeying the penultimate hole a year ago, bogeyed the first and fourth but then charged up the leaderboard.

Donald led on his own when he birdied three of the opening six but he bogeyed the seventh and ninth, while Dougherty, two under after three, then registered five bogeys to fall all the way to three over.

Open champion Padraig Harrington birdied the second with a chip to three feet, saved par with a six-footer on the next after his pitch failed to climb the slope fronting the green, but then double- bogeyed the 455-yard fifth after driving into a bush and being forced to take a penalty drop. He turned in one over.

Whether the first round would be completed was in doubt after a one-hour fog delay at the start - or rather after honorary starter Arnold Palmer hit a ceremonial drive, which because of the conditions he accurately described as going out of sight''.

Poulter was joined on two under in the clubhouse by Swede Robert Karlsson.

Rose, who shared the first round lead last year, went to four under by hitting his tee shot to five feet at the 12th then picking up a further stroke at the next.

Woods looked set to break his run of pars after a fine drive on the same hole, but instead he went long with his second and walked off with a bogey six.

Around the same time world No 2 and twice winner Phil Mickelson became the only player all day to birdie the first two holes.

Dougherty's mixed bag - four birdies, six bogeys, including one at the last - resulted in a 74.

Two over is not a bad start, so I'm not too disappointed, but I didn't hit it very good,'' he said.

On leading early on in his first Masters he added: It took me half an hour - it can't be that difficult.

That was cool, but I let it slip away a bit.''

9:08am Friday 11th April 2008

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