Turnberry elementary for Watson

But the five-time Open champion has not forgotten how to play Turnberry and he made a dream start today in his attempt to show he is not simply on a trip down memory lane this week.

After a superb five-under-par 65 had given Watson a clubhouse lead later matched by 2003 winner Ben Curtis, he 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.

"It would be amazing," said Watson, who underwent hip replacement surgery last October and at The Masters in April - his last major round - collapsed to an 83.

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.

Padraig Harrington, bidding to become the first player since Peter Thomson in 1956 to win three years in a row, was one under par after 14 holes - and had yet to drop his first stroke. Paul Casey, at world number three Europe's current top-ranked player, was going even better. An eagle on the seventh lifted him to four under, but he then bogeyed the 14th.

Leading Europeans at that point were Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, Swede Fredrik Jacobson and Italian Francesco Molinari, all part of a large group on four under which also included Australian John Senden. A week ago Senden 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 feuding Scots Colin Montgomerie and Sandy Lyle, they shot 75 and 71 respectively.

Two closing birdies by Jimenez stopped Watson from becoming the oldest player ever to lead a major after the completion of a round.They gave the Spaniard a six-under 64, matching the lowest first day score in the championship's history