It's been all action at Augusta.

There had been stories about Rory and tales of a Tiger in the fevered build up to the season's opening major. When the 79th Masters got under way, the early headlines were hogged by a Hoffman and there was some flowery prose about a Rose.

They've probably had to chop up a fair few Eisenhower Trees to keep the supply of paper going to feed the golf writing frenzy that's been generated by McIlroy's assault on the career grand slam and Woods's latest comeback. Justin Rose did his best to commander some page space. While McIlroy battled to cling on to a one-under 71 and Woods reached the turn in one-over, Rose manoeuvred neatly around Augusta's abundant perils and posted a purposeful five-under 67 which had the Englishman sitting in a share of the clubhouse lead at tea-time with Californian, Charley Hoffman. That position was under threat from various fronts, though. Ernie Els, who finished second in the Masters of 2000 and 2004, had vaulted into the early hunt by covering 16 holes in six-under as the Big Easy made it look easy while Jordan Spieth, the young Texan who tied second on his Masters debut a year ago, was bounding along superbly on the six-under mark too as he moved onto the back-nine.

Rose, meanwhile, knows what his lofty position feels like. He's led, or been in share of the lead, three times after day one since making his debut at Augusta in 2003. Rose, the US Open champion two years ago, has not finished higher than 37th on the PGA Tour this season but he showed a welcome return to form amid the azaleas and the dogwoods. Before you could say 'here comes another cliche', Rose was blooming again. A telling burst of birdies at the third, the fifth and the sixth aided the cause but, in the midst of that drive, there was an equally important save on the par-three fourth. Plonked in the front right bunker with the pin at the back left, he managed to salvage his three. "That was a nice momentum keeper," he said. "That really settled everything down and I felt I could play a good round of golf from there."

He certainly did that. So too did Hoffman.

Out in a two-ball and first off in the early morning, Hoffman had some pretty big footsteps to follow in. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player had got it all underway with the traditional thrashes down the first. While they were doing that, Hoffman was trying to compose himself again. "I actually got Jack and Arnie's autographs on the putting green before it started," said the wide-eyed 38-year-old. "I was sort of scared. Should I ask them, should I not ask them? My mind wasn't really on the golf."

Hoffman, a three time winner on the PGA Tour, quickly got his star-struck self back into the moment and birdied three of first five holes during a purposeful early thrust that would lift him to the head of the early standings. A cracking approach from 240 yards at the raking, par-five 15th set up an eagle putt of 12-feet which he trundled in before he gilded the lily with birdies at 16 and 17. "It was great for me to be off first," he added. "That's the dream, to go out and play Augusta National first off in the Masters. You couldn't have set me up any better."

With his green hat, green shirt and green glove, Hoffman was greener than a Friends of the Earth convention. A Green Jacket would probably suit him nicely.

Good old Tom Watson knows what the fit of this prized piece of clothing is like. The 65-year-old, playing in his 42nd Masters, slipped into the jacket in 1977 and 1981 and even in the twilight years he can still illuminate this corner of Georgia. A one-under 71 was his lowest score here since 2010, the last time he made the cut. "Old age and treachery, that helps," said the five-times Open champion with a knowing smile. "I've played the course enough times to know where I'm supposed to hit it and where I'm not supposed to. The last few years I've been trying to hit shots like I used to. My ego got involved too much recently. This time I played within myself."

Not much has been heard from Watson since his Ryder Cup captaincy of Team USA was publicly mauled by Phil Mickelson in the excruciating aftermath of last year's defeat to Europe at Gleneagles. It would be fair to say that the duo didn't enjoy cocktails and chit-chat at the Champions' Dinner here on Monday. "We just said hello and that was it," said Watson sternly.

Watson was joined on that mark by the world No 1 McIlroy. He may not have the vast experience of wily Watson but the 25-year-old is getting to grips with this teasing, tormenting stretch of golfing terrain. He was almost punished severely early on with a hooked drive into a creek on the second but, after taking a penalty drop, he salvaged a par. It was one of those days. "It would be fair to say that today was one of those rounds that could have easily turned into a 77 but given my experience now I managed to get it in round in 71," said McIlroy, after getting his seventh and perhaps most significant Masters underway with a card that included three birdies and two bogeys. "After that second bogey at 11 it could have got away from me but again I just stayed patient and said to myself that it is a 72-hole golf tournament and I don't have to press too much. So it was good to get into red numbers on day one."

Bubba Watson, the defending Masters champion, also opened with a 71 while Phil Mickelson, a three-time Masters winner, began with a sprightly two-under 70.

The runners and riders are off.