Chad Campbell steals show in first round

AUGUSTA, Georgia,  (Reuters) – American Chad Campbell  raised hopes of the lowest score at a major championship before  a faltering finish earned a one-shot lead on seven-under-par 65  in the U.S. Masters first round yesterday.

Nine under with two holes to play on a vulnerable Augusta  National layout, Campbell bogeyed 17 and 18.

That put him a stroke in front of fellow Americans Jim Furyk  and Hunter Mahan, who bogeyed the last on a glorious spring day  that contained hardly a breath of wind.

While four-times winner Tiger Woods began and ended poorly  to shoot a 70 in the favourable conditions, Campbell led a glut  of low scores on a course trimmed by 10 yards since last year.

With several tees pushed forward on a layout measuring 7,435  yards, the Texan set a Masters record by starting with five  consecutive birdies.

Out in five-under 31, Campbell reeled off four birdies in a  row from the 12th before finding a bunker with his approach on  17 and three-putting the 18th green.

A par-par finish would have earned the 34-year-old the 24th  63 recorded in a major.

“I got off on a roll and it’s always nice to make a couple  of birdies to start, much less five,” a beaming Campbell told  reporters.

“I felt like I was hitting it well all day. Unfortunately I  ended up with two bogeys to finish but overall I’m pretty happy  with the round. By no means is it easy out there but if you hit  good shots you really get rewarded.”

Former U.S. Open champion Furyk was also pleased after  carding a flawless six-birdie 66 in the opening major of the  season.

“I hit a lot of really good iron shots and kept the ball in  play with my driver,” the former world number two said after  shooting his lowest round at Augusta in his 13th appearance.

“I made enough putts but I hit a lot of really close shots  on that back nine. I had two birdie putts inside three feet and  I knocked it pretty close on 16.”

World number one Woods, bidding for his 15th major title,  parred the first five holes before running up a bogey at the  180-yard sixth.