The opening round of the British Open had a distinct retro feel about it Thursday as US veterans Mark Calcavecchia and Tom Watson took turns at holding the early lead.
The 49-year-old Calcavecchia, who will join the seniors tour next year, won his only major at nearby Troon in 1989 and once again he seemed inspired by the the sight of an Ayrshire links.
Playing in the lead group with a 6:30 am tee-off time, he went out in one-under 34 and then added birdies at the 11th and 17th to come in with a three-under 67 on an Ailsa course made vulnerable by the perfect conditions.
"Early does not bother me. I was ready to go at five," said Calcavecchia, whose wife Brenda was caddying for him.
"I hate to say it was easy, Turnberry is a tough course, but if you are going to shoot a good score out there, today was the day to do it. The weather was perfect.
"Great start for sure - happy with it."
The 59-year-old Watson, the star of the show here 22 years ago when he edged Jack Nicklaus in a memorable battle that went down in golfing history as the Duel in the Sun, got off to a great start with birdies at the first and third holes.
He added two more at the 10th and the 12th as his gallery started to swell and he remained at four under through 15 holes.
Calcavecchia's lead in the clubhouse proved to be short-lived as Australia's John Senden, who only made it into the draw on Tuesday when India's Jeev Milka Singh pulled out, came in with a four under 66.
Also posting a good early score in the clubhouse was England's Anthony Wall who had a 68.
With conditions near perfect, in stark contrast to the wind and driving rain that marred the first round at Royal Birkdale last year, scores were expected to be low with many ducking under the par of 70.
World number one and tournament favourite Tiger Woods made a steady start with a birdie at the second cancelled by a bogey at the third where he drove the ball into deep rough and then overshot the green with his approach.
A second birdie at the par-five seventh saw the American, who was playing in the morning's marquee grouping with 17-year-old Japanese prodigy Ryo Ishikawa and top European hope Lee Westwood, reach the turn in one-under 34.
Woods was looking to follow in the footsteps of Watson (1977), Greg Norman (1986) and Nick Price (1994), the three previous winners over the Ailsa course, arguably the most scenic of the nine layouts currently on the Open rotation.
The world number one is looking for his fourth Open win after St Andrews in 2000 and 2005 and Hoylake in 2006 and his 15th major in total to close in on the all-time record of 18 held by Jack Nicklaus.
It is the first time in four years that Woods does not hold one of the four major titles having taken eight months off after winning the US Open last June in order to undergo reconstructive surgery to his left knee.
He returned to action in February and has won three tournaments since then but had to settle for a tie for sixth place at both the Masters and this year's US Open.
The in-form Westwood produced the best start of the day with birdies at the first three holes before missing a four-footer for another one at the fourth.
The Englishman dropped back to two under though when he bogeyed the par-five seventh.
There was to be no repeat of last year's heroics from Greg Norman.
The 54-year-old Australian, who led by two strokes after three rounds at Birkdale, lost a ball in the long rough on the par-four fifth for a double-bogey six.
Things went from bad to worse as he fell to seven under through 16 holes and was already facing a mountain to climb to make the cut.
Ireland's Padraig Harrington had an afternoon tee-time as he set out in his bid to become the first golfer since Australian Peter Thomson in 1956 to win three Opens in a row.
He will be in the company of Australia's top hope Geoff Ogilvy and US veteran Jim Furyk.
