Chad Campbell allowed a piece of golf history escape from his grasp before he took outright leadership of The Masters after the first round at an unusually friendly Augusta National on Thursday (US time). Campbell fired a seven-under-65 and enjoyed a one-stroke lead over compatriots Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan (six under) who are equal second following their opening rounds of 66. Aaron Baddeley is the best of the Australians and trails Campbell by three shots. Baddeley is equal sixth on four-under-par with Tim Clark, Angel Cabrera, Mike Weir, John Merrick, Todd Hamilton, Sean O&aposHair and Kenny Perry. Baddeley was one under after completing the front nine and after making par on the next four holes, came home with a late flurry courtesy of four birdies from the final five holes but registered the second of his two bogeys at 16. The on-fire Campbell was a magical nine under par with three holes to play, meaning one more birdie and two pars would have made him the first man ever to score 62 in any of the sport&aposs four biggest events. Even three pars would have matched the course record and put him alongside 20 other players who have achieved 63 since Johnny Miller first set the mark at the 1973 US Open. However, the 34-year-old Texan found sand on the 17th and 18th, bogeyed them both and with a 65 led on his own only because Mahan bogeyed the last as well. Australian legend Greg Norman, who returned to the event after a seven-year gap courtesy of his third-place finish in last July&aposs Open at Birkdale, has started impressively with a two-under 70 and sits in equal 21st spot with six other golfers including world No.1 Tiger Woods. As a tournament-record 38 players broke par, Padraig Harrington was happy enough with a 69 that put him tied 14th, but to win a third successive major the Open and US PGA champion will have to come from four back. He will not consider that mission impossible, though. He was five behind after an opening 74 at Royal Birkdale last July. Fit-again Woods, seeking his fifth green jacket and 15th major, has five to make up. Woods was only level par after 12, then had three birdies in a row, but after missing a chance for another on the 17th bogeyed the last, going over the green and sending his chip racing past the cup. “I let a couple of shots slip away,” he said. “But I was happy with how I hit the ball.” “The guys were tearing the place apart and you could definitely go get it. I didn&apost make anything the first eight holes, but I hung in there.” Aussies Geoff Ogilvy and Adam Scott are both one-under after carding rounds of 71 and Stuart Appleby is a stroke further back on even par. Phil Mickelson fared worse, though. With a chance to take the world No.1 ranking off his great rival Woods this weekend he managed only a 73, as did third-ranked Sergio Garcia, while in the last group of the day. Northern Ireland teenager Rory McIlroy shot 72 with two birdies, two bogeys and a great par-saving putt on the last. Campbell, halfway leader three years ago, started in Masters-record fashion with five successive birdies and then picked up four more in a row from the 12th. “I thought about 63 – it&aposs hard not to and the fans did a good job of reminding me!,” he said. “I&aposm a little upset with the way I finished.” “You definitely never want to finish the round with two bogeys. (It) kind of leaves a little bit of a sour taste in your mouth.” Mahan&aposs round even included a double bogey six on the 11th. He had five birdies to that point, though, and had four more in succession from the 13th. Furyk, the only player not to register a bogey, had four birdies in a row himself from the 14th. Harrington, doing a brilliant job of handling all the pressure on him, was joint top European with McIlroy&aposs compatriot Graeme McDowell and England&aposs Ross Fisher. The two debutants both reached five under, but much to their annoyance emulated Campbell with closing back-to-back bogeys. Three under after 14, Harrington ran up a bogey six on the long 15th – a hole which has got the better of him several times in the past, including an eight in the last round two years ago. He laid up short of the water, but then pitched over and failed to get up and down. However, Harrington came back with a birdie on the next and after just missing another at 18 commented: “That was definitely one of the more generous days ever here.” “Thursday is all about staying in the tournament and I would have taken my score before I started, but you&aposve got to feel it&aposs going to get tougher.” “At some stage I really expect a course that&aposs really difficult, right to the limit.” Fisher is playing only the fifth major of his career, but has already made his mark in the United States this season with a fourth place finish in the WGC-Match Play in Arizona. “I&aposve been dreaming about playing in The Masters for such as a long time and it&aposs an absolute pleasure to be out there,” he said. “The finish was disappointing, but if you score 69 at Augusta National you&aposre obviously doing something right.” “I&aposm going to cherish every moment this week, but at the same time I&aposm here to do a job and have come with a feeling that I have a chance of winning.” Lee Westwood, Bernhard Langer and Miguel Angel Jimenez joined Norman and Woods in returning 70s. Ian Poulter was round in 71 and Sunday&aposs Houston Open winner Paul Casey stood level par alongside Sandy Lyle, but Justin Rose, incredibly the leader after the first day on his last three visits to the course, came nowhere near doing the same. Double bogeys at the 11th, 12th and 17th contributed to a 74 matched by Ian Woosnam, while Luke Donald eagled the 15th, but had turned in 40 and finished with a 73, the same as former Augusta college player Oliver Wilson. Norman&aposs countryman Robert Allenby started with a one-over 73, while Mathew Goggin and New Zealander Danny Lee (two over) are tied for 70th after shooting 74s. As one Campbell led, New Zealand namesake Michael was last after an eight-over 80. Even Gary Player at 73 in his record 52nd and last Masters shot two better than that. First Round of the US Masters, Augusta National Golf Club, Georgia -7: Chad Campbell 65 -6: Jim Furyk 66, Hunter Mahan 66 -5: Shingo Katayama 67, Larry Mize 67 -4: Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 68, Tim Clark 68, Angel Cabrera 68, Mike Weir 68, John Merrick 68, Todd Hamilton 68, Sean O&aposHair 68, Kenny Perry 68 -3: Ross Fisher 69, Prayad Marksaeng 69, Kevin Sutherland 69, Padraig Harrington 69, Graeme McDowell 69, Andres Romero 69, Stewart Cink 69 Also: -2: Greg Norman (Australia) 70, Tiger Woods 70 -1: Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 71, Adam Scott (Australia) 71 E: Stuart Appleby (Australia) 72 +1: Robert Allenby (Australia) 73 +2: Mathew Goggin (Australia) 74, Danny Lee (New Zealand) 74 +8: Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 80