Tiger stalks in-form Choi

Woods teed off at 9.09am alongside 1999 champion Paul Lawrie and England's Justin Rose on a miserable morning in Carnoustie, but Korea's KJ Choi was making light of the cold and wet conditions.

Choi has won two of his last three events on the US Tour - including the AT&T National hosted by Woods - and moved into an early lead this morning with three birdies in the first four holes.

His opening tee shot was not promising, a three wood described by veteran caddy Andy Prodger as "very duffed", but the 36-year-old fired a long-iron approach to 22 feet and holed the putt.

Another birdie followed from 10ft on the third and when he birdied the fourth as well he was two clear of a large group containing two players with mixed memories of the last Open here in 1999.

Eight years ago Australian Rod Pampling was the only man to match par on the opening day, but then carded a second-round 86 to become the only first-round leader in Open history to miss the halfway cut.

And Justin Leonard was the third, and largely forgotten, man in the play-off with Jean Van de Velde and Paul Lawrie, which Lawrie won with birdies at the final two holes.

Both players were one under par early in their rounds today, alongside 2006 US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy.

American Joe Durant had struck the first shot of the day at 6.30am in front of a handful of spectators huddled under umbrellas as the predicted rain fell.

Playing partner Oliver Wilson set the early pace with two birdies in his first three holes, but the Mansfield golfer then dropped seven shots in the next five holes as Carnoustie proved it still deserves its fearsome reputation.