Jimenez Isn't Better Than Watson

Miguel Angel Jimenez equalled the lowest first round in Open history on Thursday - but Tom Watson was the talk of Turnberry

Two months short of his 60th birthday, the five-time Open champion made a dream start to what he insists is not simply a trip down memory lane this week.

After his superb 65, Watson - set to be the oldest player ever to lead a major at the end of a full round until Jimenez birdied the last two holes - said: "I feel that I'm playing well enough to win. I feel inspired playing here."

The oldest man in the 156-strong field claims he has never seen anything more stunning in golf than Tiger Woods winning the 2000 US Open by 15 shots.

But if he does go on to equal Harry Vardon's record six victories on Sunday it will surely take the place of that.

Greg Norman coming close to the Claret Jug at 53 last year has nothing on this.

That was on the beast that is now Augusta National, though. This was round a Turnberry course that could not have been more docile.

Even though he agreed, "she was defenceless", nothing should detract from what Watson achieved. Woods, after all, managed only a one-over-par 71 and Norman slumped to a 77.

Padraig Harrington, meanwhile, began his bid for the first Open hat-trick since Peter Thomson in 1956 with a 69 - a big step in the right direction after five successive missed cuts on the European and American tours.

Norman was back on the links where he won in 1986, but Watson's famous 'Duel in the Sun' with Jack Nicklaus is now 32 years ago.

He finished with back-to-back 65s that week and had another to be the halfway leader the last time the Open was staged here 15 years ago when Nick Price won.

With the 2003 British Senior Open title won by Watson over this same lay-out as well, nobody knows it better and he noted: "There are some certain shots out here that the kids are unfamiliar with.

Just prior to the championship Watson had received a "good luck" text from Nicklaus's wife Barbara and he stated: "There's something slightly spiritual about today - and the serenity of it was pretty neat."

Playing partner Sergio Garcia, who shot a level-par 70, called Watson's display "awesome" and needless to say 16-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero, the third member of the group and the youngest-ever British amateur champion, was blown away by it too.

"I wish I had his putting stroke," said Watson. He knows that, as in 1994 when he fell back to 11th, it is the club most likely to let him down.

Not in the opening round, though. After an eight-footer went in on the first he holed from 20 feet at the third, 12 on the 10th and then eight again on the 12th and 17th.

Watson's 65 was matched by 2003 champion Ben Curtis.

The American, 396th in the world six years ago when he became the first debutant to take the title since Watson at Carnoustie in 1975, now stands 27th in the rankings and four birdies in the last six holes made him the second player to shoot 65.

Paul Casey, Lee Westwood, David Howell and Graeme McDowell had hopes of at least matching that after flying starts, but all four finished with 68s.

The group on four under, meanwhile, included Australian John Senden who, a week ago was only the seventh reserve for the event and it was only on arriving from Texas on Tuesday that Jeev Milkha Singh's side muscle injury let him in.

As for Colin Montgomerie and Sandy Lyle, the two Scots in the headlines when Lyle reignited the row over Montgomerie's "wrong drop" in Indonesia four years ago, they shot 75 and 71 respectively.

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