Golf:Rory McIlroy reeled off five birdies on the back nine to take a one stroke lead over Hunter Mahan after the opening round of the Shanghai Masters today, a lucrative invitational tournament not sanctioned by any of the major tours.

The US Open winner from Northern Ireland had eight birdies in total and no bogeys at Lake Malaren Golf Club in the outskirts of Shanghai, and finished with an eight under the card total of 64. American Ryder Cup player Mahan had seven birdies, including three in a row on the back nine, but he missed his final chance on the 18th hole when his putt caressed the lip of the cup but failed to drop.

Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and English duo Paul Casey and Ian Poulter were three shots behind McIlroy after recording five under, 67s. Lee Westwood, playing alongside McIlroy, finished on 69, the same score as John Daly, Robert Karlsson, YE Yang and Retief Goosen. Colin Montgomerie was one further adrift, along with South Africans Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen.