Adam Scott just misses out on major milestone

Adam Scott today came within a whisker of a golfing fairytale as he claimed the clubhouse lead in the first round of the 141st Open here.

Scott arrived on the 18th tee needing a birdie three to become the first player in Major tournament history to card a 62. However, the 32-year-old Australian, who had earlier fully exploited the benign conditions on the Lancashire links, drove into thick rough and came away with only his second bogey of the round.

A 64 still left him one clear of Scotland’s former champion Paul Lawrie and Zach Johnson of the United States. Northern Ireland’s former US Open title holder Graeme McDowell finished four under with Ernie Els and Tiger Woods three under coming down the back nine.

Despite coming so close to the record, Scott knew as he approached the 17th that it was a long shot.

He said: “I know there’s never been a 62. I was waiting to use the bathroom going to the 17th and I looked at the leaderboard and realised it was a par-70.

“I also probably then realised that [because of the nature of the last two holes] I wasn’t going to be the guy to shoot 62. It’s one of those things that you don’t want to go through your mind, thinking about your final score and stuff like that. So I got rid of that quickly and got on to playing the 17th. But unfortunately I dropped one up the last.”

Overall, however, Scott was happy, as he should be. He said: “It was just like a nice walk in the park today. It was not what we’ve experienced in the practice rounds. I’m sure there’s going to be some weather elements thrown at us the next three days. So I’m just going to have to knuckle down to handle that.”

Scott is one of the most stylish players from tee to green but he is attempting to hone his wayward form on the putting surface with an ugly chest-anchored putter with a shaft as thick as a drainpipe.

Unrepentant at offending golf’s traditionalists, he said: “I’m very pleased with the start, obviously. It’s nice just to take advantage of the calm conditions today. It was surprising but very pleasing to go out and play some solid golf.

“It’s what I haven’t done the first rounds of the Majors this year, and that was my goal here, really. I wanted to start today like it was Sunday and there was no tomorrow.

“I did a good job of that, and now I’ve got my work cut out for me the next couple of days to keep myself in a similar kind of position.”

Lawrie, the 1999 winner, equalled his lowest-ever score in The Open.

The Scot said: “It was probably the strangest start of my career, the first six holes — I didn’t really hit many good shots and I was three under.”