Augusta, April 8

This week’s Masters always had the makings for being something extra special and it lived up to expectations on Thursday as reigning champion Jordan Spieth seized a two-shot lead after the opening round.

The American’s love affair with the challenging Augusta National layout continued in flawless style as he fired a six-under 66 to storm to the top of a high-quality leaderboard in the first of the year’s four major championships. Bidding to become only the fourth player to claim back-to-back Masters victories, world No 2 Spieth took advantage of relatively calm morning conditions before coping superbly with tricky gusting winds as he kept his card bogey-free.

Spieth ended the day two shots ahead of New Zealander Danny Lee and Irishman Shane Lowry, with Englishmen Justin Rose, Paul Casey and Ian Poulter, Dane Soren Kjeldsen and Spaniard Sergio Garcia a further stroke back after opening with 69s. Rory McIlroy bogeyed the final hole for a 70 while world No 1 Jason Day, the hottest player in the game after winning six times in his last 13 starts, got to five-under before dropping five shots in his last four holes for a 72.

Shaking off a run of inconsistent form in recent weeks on the PGA Tour, Spieth sank a six-footer at the third, a 13-footer at the sixth and a four-footer at the eighth to reach the turn in three-under 33. He picked up further shots at the 10th and 13th, sank a clutch 15-footer to save par at the 16th and finished in style by rolling in a six-footer at the last before pumping his fist in celebration. Spieth became the first defending Masters champion to hold the outright lead after the first round since Jack Nicklaus in 1966.

While Spieth flourished, former world No 1 Ernie Els made a nightmare start as he six-putted from three feet at the par-four first to run up a mind-boggling nine. It was the highest ever Masters score on that hole and left South African Els, who has struggled badly with his short putting for more than a year, shaking his head in disbelief. He went on to shoot 80, tying his worst round at Augusta.

Australian Day, seeking a second consecutive major victory after winning his first at the PGA Championship in August, was just one stroke off the pace until he bogeyed the 15th. He then triple-bogeyed the par-three 16th after hitting his tee shot into water, reloading and three-putting before he dropped another shot at the 17th. Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson opened with a 72 while fellow left-hander Bubba Watson faded on the back nine to card a 75.