17 July,2009 08:34 AM IST | | AFP
Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez sunk a monster putt on 18 to take a one shot lead in the British Open on a day when Tom Watson produced a masterclass in links golf seven weeks short of his 60th birthday.
The American, who dominated world golf in the 1970s and 1980s, produced a flawless first round on the same par-70 Ailsa course on which he defeated Jack Nicklaus in the fabled Duel in the Sun 32 years ago. Five times Open champion Watson, had five birdies and no bogeys on his card by the time he sunk a five-footer for par at the last to earn one of the earliest standing ovations ever at an Open.
"I try not to live in the past, but a lot of the kids playing here were not even born in 1977. Still, I have a chance to do well this week," said Watson whose last Open win was at Birkdale 26 years ago.
Jimenez paid tribute to compatriot Seve Ballesteros, who is recovering from brain tumour surgery. "To see the way he fights gives you a lot of motivation to do anything in life," he said.
