Woody Austin holds one-shot lead at the Senior Open Championship
Friday 22 July 2016 22:37, UK
Two-time major champion Mark O’Meara posted a three-under 69 to stay within one stroke of first-round pacesetter Woody Austin at the Senior Open Championship.
The 59-year-old, who made the cut at Royal Troon last week, mixed five birdies with two bogeys on his way to an opening-round 69 to join a seven-way tie one off the pace.
Miguel Angel Jimenez leads the group on two under and Bernhard Langer features in the group three strokes back, while John Daly and defending champion Marco Dawson sit on level par.
Just two shots separate the top 18 players after a day of favourable scoring conditions at Carnoustie.
Austin made his move up the leaderboard with four birdies in a six-hole stretch from the 11th, but missed out on the chance to extend his advantage with a two-putt par at the last.
"It was a really good battle today," Austin told Sky Sports. "I haven't been playing well for about three months now and it has been a real battle with both the golf swing and the mind with how bad it is."
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O'Meara opened with successive birdies and bounced back from a blemish at the 13th to post another pair of gains over the next two, before completing the closing stretch in regulation.
American trio Tom Byrum, Wes Short Jnr and Scott McCarron also sit on three under, with Australia's Peter Fowler, Mexico's Esteban Toledo and Paraguyan Carlos Franco, who came through qualifying on Monday, completing the tie for second.
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Jimenez had reached the turn one over but posted a birdie at the 12th and an eagle-three at the 14th on his way to his two-under 70, as Langer also signed for a bogey-free back nine to begin the week under par.
Tom Watson and Colin Montgomerie struggled to opening 76s, with the pair both finding the Barry Burn and having to take a drop on their way to a final-hole blemish.
Jean Van de Velde, who famously triple-bogeyed the last to miss out on Open victory at Carnoustie in 1999, looks set to miss the cut after struggling to an opening-round 83.
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