Adam Scott off to hot start at British Open but Tiger Woods lurks

ADAM Scott has vaulted into contention for his elusive first major championship with a course record-equalling opening round at the British Open.

ADAM Scott has vaulted into contention for his elusive first major championship with a course record-equalling opening round at the British Open.

The Australian No.1 collected eight birdies in a breathtaking 13-hole stretch mid-round to sign off for a magnificent six-under-par 64 at Royal Lytham and St Annes.

Scott has a one-stroke advantage over 1999 winner Paul Lawrie and former Masters champion Zach Johnson after matching Tom Lehman's third-round 64 in 1996, the year the American reigned at Lytham.

The 32-year-old world No. 13 has never before led at any stage at one of golf's four majors.

"I haven't achieved my goal of winning major championships. That's what I've dreamt of as a kid," Scott said.

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"That's what I made as my goals when I turned pro and what I've thought about since turning pro.

"Everything else fits into the process of doing so. So I still feel like I've got a lot to play for."

Scott was swinging and putting so purely in the benign morning conditions that he said his first round felt "just like a nice walk in the park".

"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," he said.

"It's what I haven't done the first rounds of the majors this year and that was my goal here, really, starting the week was to play today like it was Sunday and there was no tomorrow.

"I did a good job of that."

Scott flirted with the equal lowest first-round score in major golf history before taking a bogey at the troublesome par-4 last hole.

But he was unfazed as he looked only forward in his quest to become the first Australian winner of the Open since Greg Norman in 1993.

Brendan Jones, who closed out his round superbly with birdies on 17 and 18, and Marc Leishman are the only other Australians in red figures after posting one-under 69s.

Newcastle's Aaron Townsend made an impressive Open debut, carding a steady even-par 70, a score matched by in-form John Senden.

Coming off his top-10 finish at the US Open and tied fourth at last week's John Deere Classic, Senden ignited salvaged his round with a 40-foot putt for eagle at the 592-yard par-5 seventh.

"It was a good bounce back," he said.

"I just felt good about myself again and knew momentum was heading my way so I stuck to my guns coming in and finished up alright."

Aaron Baddeley, Greg Chalmers, Marcus Fraser and major rookie Ashley Hall, with five birdies on a magical back nine, all returned one-over 71s.

Baddeley had four birdies, but spoilt his round with three bogeys, a double-bogey and a three-putt on the last.

"I could have had three-under," he said.

Geoff Ogilvy, the 2006 US Open champion who has missed the Open cut the past five years in a row, again has ground to make up after beginning with a 72.

Spare a thought for Nick Cullen, the 25-year-old who was enjoying a fine debut until racking up a dreaded triple-bogey on the 18th for a three-over 73.

Brad Kennedy (75) and Robert Allenby (75) also have big ground to make up to secure a weekend tee time.

Tiger Woods, the three-times champion and Open favourite, is among a dozen players, including seven major winners within three shots of Scott on a star-studded leaderboard.

Woods is tied for sixth at three-under after giving up the outright lead when he faltered on the back nine as Scott sizzled with five birdies in seven holes.

"I look up on the board and Scotty is going pretty low and so is everyone else," Woods said.

"I felt I had to make a few more and I was able to. I played well, I really hit it well. I was very close on making a few more putts.

"Every ball was starting right on my line. I was very pleased with that. I've just got to hit the putts a little harder.

"I'm very pleased with what I did today. We've got a long way to go."

Scot Paul Lawrie, the 1999 champion, capitalised on a birdie-birdie-birdie start to finish one off the lead along with American Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion, and Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts.

Brandt Snedeker is one shot further back, ahead of fellow American Steve Stricker, major winners Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson, Ernie Els and Graeme McDowell, plus Swede Peter Hanson and Japan's Toshinori Muto, all at three under with Woods.

Veteran Els continued his revival after storming home for ninth at last month's US Open.

"The US Open was a good little test for me. That final round I felt good and it's all about confidence and it's starting to grow a little bit in me," the South African said.

"So today was a big day. You don't want to play yourself out of it. You can't win it today, but you can get yourself too far behind, so I'm pleased with the round."

McIlroy, the world No. 2 and runaway winner of last year's US Open, laughed off a double-bogey at the 15th hole - when he hit a spectator in the head on the bounce with his tee shot before the ball rolled out of bounds - to card his 67.

"If he could have headed it the other way, it would have been in the fairway," McIlroy joked.

"I thought I did well to keep my composure and keep my concentration and finish the way I did."

Of the other frontline contenders, England's world No.1 Luke Donald and Ireland's two-times Open champion Padraig Harrington had even-par 70s, as did Australians John Senden and rookie Aaron Townsend.

But it was not a good start for England's world No.3 Lee Westwood, who returned a 73 despite opening with two straight birdies, or defending champion Darren Clarke (76).

"I don't think you could publish my thoughts right now," Clarke said after the Northern Irishman's struggles since collecting the Claret Jug last year continued.

"I tried my best on every shot, but unfortunately it wasn't there again today."

Darren Clarke