Golf:Ireland's Padraig Harrington made a promising start in the year's first major, the US Masters at Augusta National today.The Dubliner turned in one under par, two shots behind the early leader Sweden's Henrik Stenson.

Harrington made a brilliant start, hitting the par five, second green in two and holing the eagle putt from eight feet. Bogeys on the fourth and seventh arrested that momentum but the three-time major winner responded with a birdie at the par five, eighth. A par on the ninth saw him turn in 35 strokes, one under regulation figures.

Stenson also eagled the second and grabbed a birdie on the fifth to move on clear of Germany’s Martin Kaymer (10 holes) while Harrington was joined on one under by Stewart Cink, Francesco Molinari, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Paul Lawrie and Tiger Woods, all of whom are in the early stages of their round.

Woods recovered from snap hooking tee shots on the first and second holes to scramble pars on both occasions before he birdied the third.