Jimenez still out in front

At six under par, Jimenez led by one from 59-year-old five-time winner Tom Watson, 2003 champion Ben Curtis and Japan's Kenichi Kuboya, who finished his first round shortly before 9pm yesterday with a run of birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie.

Curtis was the first of that group back on the course and briefly caught Jimenez at the top of the leaderboard with a birdie from two feet on the first. However, the world number 27 - who was ranked 396th when he won the Open at Sandwich - then bogeyed the second after failing to get up and down from a bunker and also dropped a shot at the third following a poor drive.

The 32-year-old was joined on four under by fellow American Steve Marino, the Open debutant carding three birdies and two bogeys in his first six holes.

Fifty players had broken the par of 70 on a benign opening day, but world number one Tiger Woods was surprisingly not among them.

Woods struggled to a one-over 71 to lie seven shots off the lead, the 14-time major champion leaving himself with plenty of work to do, especially on a wayward long game.

"I certainly made a few mistakes out there," conceded Woods, who carded four bogeys and three birdies.

"Realistically I probably should have shot about one or two under par. Hopefully I can play a little better, clean it up and put myself headed in the right direction."

Colin Montgomerie also carded a 71 but bogeyed the first to drop back to two over, while both Sandy Lyle and Nick Faldo were faring even worse at eight over after six and five holes respectively.