Hoffman takes first day lead at Masters as injured Johnson pulls out

In a start overshadowed by the withdrawal through injury of world number one Dustin Johnson, Charley Hoffman ended the opening day of Masters with the biggest first round lead witnessed at the course in Augusta for 62 years.

Charley Hoffman carved out the biggest first day lead at the Masters since 1955. Reuters/Brian Snyder

Hoffman, 40, posted a seven under par 65 in conditions described by one former Masters winner as borderline unplayable. William McGirt was four strokes behind his American compatriot.

The remarkable round from a relative unknown added a modicum of historical gloss on the gloom from Johnson's departure.

The 32-year-old American waited for 24 hours before finally announcing that he could not compete. He injured his back on Wednesday following a serious fall at his rented house. Despite treatment, the pain was deemed too invasive. "I wanted to try and play but I'm not going to be able to compete," he said. "It just sucks."

Johnson, the reigning US Open champion, had been one the favourites for the first major golf championship of the year having won three tournaments in the prelude to the event.

In the absence of the world number one, it was journeymen who shone rather than the putative stars.

World number two Rory McIlroy and world number three Jason Day slumped in the swirling conditions

"My short game really saved me today," said McIlroy. "Even par was a pretty great score out there at the end of the day and I'm happy with it."

McIlroy was one shot behind England's 2013 US Open champion Justin Rose, who was in an eight-way tie for fourth on 71.

Day also suffered in the conditions, returning a two-over 74 to share 26th place.

The 2015 Masters champion, Jordon Spieth, suffered a repeat of the meltdown that cost him last year's title and dropped shots that left him 10 shots behind the Hoffman.

One man who appeared to thrive in the whirligig was three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson, who shot 71 for a share of fourth place. "Man, I love it," Mickelson said. "I thought anything at par or better was going to be a great score and it is."

The 46-year-old US left-hander will replace Jack Nicklaus as the oldest winner in Masters history if he can collect a fourth green jacket on Sunday.