Jimenez leads Open field

Jimenez: Dramatic finish

First round leaderboard:
-6 MA Jimenez (Spa)
-5 T Watson (US)
-5 B Curtis (US)
-5 K Kuboya (Jpn)
-4 J Senden (Aus)
-4 S Stricker (US)
-4 C Villegas (Col)
-4 S Cink (US)
-4 M Goggin (Aus)

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Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez is the name at the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the 138th Open Championship at Turnberry.

With the course at its most vulnerable with barely a breath of wind all day, Jimenez returned a flawless six-under-par 64 in the early evening - equalling the lowest first round score in the event's history - to trump former champions Tom Watson and Ben Curtis, and late starter Kenichi Kuboya.

Five-time Claret Jug winner Watson was another player to enjoy a bogey-free round on a course where he defeated Jack Nicklaus in the famous 'duel in the sun' on the back nine 32 years ago.

The 59-year-old appeared set to become the oldest player ever to lead a major after the completion of a round until the Spaniard birdied the final hole with an outrageous 40-foot putt.

But Watson will still share the headlines with the story of the day after the popular veteran held the lead for much of the afternoon.

Remarkable

After an eight-footer went in on the first he holed from 20 feet at the third, 12 on the 10th and then from eight again on the 12th and 17th.

It was a remarkable effort from the man who also won the Senior Open at Turnberry, and he will be hoping to provide another romantic story to rival Greg Norman's brave attempt to win the title 12 months ago.

Jimenez was one of many players to make a move on the front nine, which yielded many birdies while the par-five seventh proved to be the easiest hole of the day.

The Ryder Cup veteran held his round together before birdieing the final two holes but several players came unstuck on the run for home, with the back nine and particularly the 16th looking likely to play a huge part in the outcome of the event over the coming days, particularly if the wind blows.

Curtis, the 2003 champion on his debut in the event, was one of many players to eagle the seventh but he had also dropped a couple of shots until a run of four birdies in five holes from the 13 took him into a brief share of the lead.

Kubuya was the third player to come in with a 65 approaching 9pm, his incredible back nine seeing him pick up four birdies and an eagle in the final six holes after he had gone through the first five in two over par.

Frustrated Woods

More than a third of the 156-man field came in at par or better and each will fancy their chances at this stage, the chasers being headed by a group of five players on four under par.

World number one Tiger Woods did well to record a 71 in the end after a frustrating day in which little went right for the three-time champion.

Woods hit just eight of 14 fairways and threw his club in disgust on more than one occasion, while few putts dropped as he came home in 37.

Playing partner Lee Westwood carded a 68 but it could have much better than that after he birdied the first three holes, while the momentum really went when he hit his approach to the 16th into the burn and failed to get up and down.

On a good day for the former winners, Mark Calcavecchia and Mark O'Meara carded 67s to sit alongside pre-tournament fancies Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, Mike Weir and Retief Goosen, while John Daly and Tom Lehman recorded rounds of 68 late in the day.

Englishmen Paul Casey and David Howell were both out in 31 before settling for rounds of 68, while defending champion Padraig Harrington had two birdies to go with a solitary bogey in his 69 to be among a whole host of players on 69.

Recovery of the day must go to American Anthony Kim, who ran up a nine at the second hole, received treatment on a neck injury and also double bogeyed the 16th after hitting into the burn, but played the other 16 holes in four under par including a birdie at the last that all added up to a 73.