The accurate Howell birdied all four of Augusta's par-fives

The 30-year-old Englishman, who finished 11th on his Masters debut last year, mixed four birdies with three bogeys to be four shots off the lead.

Luke Donald, ranked five places higher than Howell at ninth, finished three shots behind his compatriot on 74.

Colin Montgomerie matched Donald and Lee Westwood is a shot back after a 75, but Darren Clarke played well for a 72.

The highlight of Clarke's round was a bunker shot that he holed from 100 feet for an eagle at the long second.

I can't see 12 under on the board like last year after two rounds David Howell Quotes of the day

That was cancelled out by a double-bogey at the short 12th but the Ulsterman played par golf on the other 16 holes.

Howell weighed two bogeys against two birdies on his front nine and slipped below par with a bogey four at Amen Corner's par-three 12th.

But birdies at the 13th and 15th got him back into the red and he expressed satisfaction with his day's work.

"I didn't drive it well for me, hit it in the rough which doesn't make it easy. But I didn't make too many stupid mistakes," he said.

"I holed out pretty well apart from a three-putt on the third. Other than that I did everything pretty nicely.

The pins were pretty fair and if they make them tougher level par could win Colin Montgomerie

"I'm very pleased. It was difficult, more so than last year when it was wet.

"There is going to be a lot higher scoring than last year. I can't see 12 under on the board like last year after two rounds."

Montgomerie, the eight-time European number one, has been second four times in majors but has never really performed at Augusta - an eighth-place finish in 1998 being his best performance.

But the 42-year-old Scot was relatively satisfied with his 74, saying: "After the seven on the second (he hit into a bush and took a penalty drop) that's not too bad.

"The pins were pretty fair today and if they make them tougher level par could win. And there was no breeze either."

If I can hit a few more fairways - I don't feel my game is in too bad a shape Luke Donald

Donald, who won the Honda Classic in Florida last month, made an erratic start with a birdie and three bogeys in the first five holes.

He picked up a shot at the 8th, bogeyed the 11th and then parred his way home. But the 28-year-old was not too downcast with his start.

"The conditions were good and I would have liked to have shot under par, but it's not the end of the world," said Donald, who finished third here on his debut last year.

"I played poorly on the back nine and only hit a couple of fairways and if you do that you are always going to struggle.

"If I can hit a few more fairways - I don't feel my game is in too bad a shape. Two over is not disastrous."