Scott, who tied for second at last year's Masters and opened here with a 66, made four birdies on the back nine after starting on the 10th, and added an eagle on the par-five first and a birdie on the second.

His only blemish was a bogey on the sixth, just three holes from home, which enabled Dufner, a little-known journeyman until he burst out of obscurity to finish second at the PGA Championship last year, to grab a share of the lead with a birdie on his last hole, the par-three ninth.

"The wind and some very punitive rough made it a very difficult out there today," Scott conceded after having a solid day with his broomstick putter. "So I'm very happy with my titleist Scotty Cameron Buttonback Putter

 in these blustery conditions. You had to keep the ball on the fairways and out of the rough and I managed to do that

"I took advantage of my good play on the first 11 or 12 holes and then managed to kind of get it up-and-down here or there coming in. It was a good way to start."

Scott, playing in only his third event this year after taking a break to have his tonsils removed, said he had been inspired by McIlroy's rise to World No 1 and hoped it would help take him to new levels this year.

"Watching Rory play so nicely the last couple of weeks and just the way he plays Titleist Scotty Cameron Buttonback Putter

 is inspiring," he said.

"I've had a bit of a break and I need to catch up with these guys.

"You know it's only a month till the Masters and this is the time you want to knuckle down and get involved."

Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and Masters champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa will also have been happy with their opening rounds. Both are just two shots off the pace on 4-under after shooting 68s.

"When it's this windy,' Bjorn said, "You know you need to play solid Titleist Scotty Cameron Buttonback Putter

 and keep the big numbers off your card. That's what I did."

Phil Mickelson, hoping to get himself back into the upper echelon on the World Rankings list again this year, finished, as did Woods, at even-par after early bogeys on the 12th and 14th holes and a double-bogey on the par-three fourth, his 13th hole, had set him back, but to his credit, the left-hander did manage to level things with four birdies to finish with a 72.

"It could have been better, could have been worse. I felt like I fought hard to keep myself in a position where if I get it going tomorrow I can get right back in it," said MIckleson, a three-times Masters Champion

Spain's Sergio Garcia's two-over 75 had to take the prize for the most bizarre round of the day.

The Spaniard was five-under at the turn after mixing six birdies with one bogey before coming apart at the seams on the back nine where he posted a birdie, six bogeys and a triple-bogey on the 18th having found the  Scotty Cameron Buttonback Putter

 there twice.