Stenson loses way at Augusta

Lee Westwood found himself leading The Masters again after Henrik Stenson crashed from six under par to one under in almost a blink of the eye on his 36th birthday at Augusta National.

While Westwood, making his 56th attempt to win a major, had four birdies in a row from the fifth and turned in 32, former Ryder Cup team-mate Stenson - spectacularly good for 15 holes - followed a three-putt bogey on the short 16th with a quadruple-bogey eight at the last.

In trouble off the tee, he then topped his third shot, went over the green, left his chip on the fringe and three-putted once more.

The Swede was not the only one to hit trouble - Rory McIlroy's return to the course started with a double bogey and world number one Luke Donald was faring even worse.

Tiger Woods went round in 72 and Scot Paul Lawrie, playing the event for the first time since 2004, eagled the 13th and 15th for a three-under 69 that set the early clubhouse target.

McIlroy's hopes of making full amends for his closing 80 last April had taken an immediate nosedive.

He gave himself another bad memory by driving into the right-hand trees, failing to make it back to the fairway off the pine straw and then three-putting. At least the second-ranked player in golf birdied the long next, but even after that a look at the leaderboard told him how much ground he already had to make up - although it became considerably fewer shots after Stenson's late crash.

With two to play, Donald was four over and not even in the top 75 in a tournament featuring only 95 players after the injury withdrawals of Dustin Johnson and Mark O'Meara.

Scot Martin Laird was four over with five to play, England's Simon Dyson five over after 13 and compatriot Paul Casey started for home two over, along with 1991 winner Ian Woosnam.

Open champion Darren Clarke, who came into the event with a groin strain, was one over after six and fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell stood on the same mark with 11 holes remaining.