Swede Carl Pettersson - who turned down the chance to play in the Open last year - marked his belated debut by taking a share of the first-round lead at Muirfield today.
But it could have been even better for the 24-year-old North Carolina-based player. He was five under and ahead on his own before he bogeyed the last to join America’s Duffy Waldorf and David Toms on four under par.
Pettersson could have played at Lytham 12 months ago after winning the 2000 European amateur championship.
But he decided not to delay turning professional and is already a winner on the European tour. He beat David Gilford in a play-off for the Portuguese Open in April after the event had been cut to 36 holes because of high winds.
"It feels great to lead, and I'm not really disappointed about the bogey at the end," he said.
"I pulled my tee shot a little bit left, and that's going to happen throughout a tournament. I'm worried, and there's a long way to go.
Waldorf sunk a 12-footer on the last to edge into a share of the lead. Wearing the day's most outrageous attire - a flowery blue and white matching shirt and baseball cap - the wine-loving Waldorf had four birdies and no bogeys as he carded a pace-setting 67 in his fifth attempt at the British Open.
"I stayed patient, hit the middle of the greens and made the birdies," said the 39-year-old Californian of his round. "But Sunday is a long way off, so I will just sit back and watch the rest of the day's golf."
Waldorf's stunner followed a magnificent performance from Japanese pocket battleship Shigeki Maruyama and English hope Justin Rose as they stole Tiger Woods' thunder.
Playing together after an early tee-off, the 21-year-old Rose and the 32-year-old Maruyama both moved ahead of Woods with birdies at the second hole and they kept the world number one at bay to card three-under par 68s.
Their efforts on a day when ideal playing conditions presaged a bunch of low scores put them into a share of the early lead with "golden oldies" Des Smyth and Sandy Lyle, all on three-under.
Open specialist Thomas Bjorn of Denmark and unheralded Jean-Francois Remesy of France joined them atop the early-starter leaderboard before Waldorf came in to bust the logjam.
Among those out in the afternoon groupings were British veterans Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie along with world number two Phil Mickelson of the United States and Retief Goosen of South Africa.
Woods struggled all day with the putter missing a succession of birdie chances and had to settle for a one-under par 70.
But he said that although the putts failed to fall, he was far from unhappy with his score.
"I am very pleased with being under par in a Major championship especially on a course like this," said Woods.
"I hit the putts well, but they were just not going in. It was frustrating but what can you do."
Smyth, only nine months away from joining the seniors tour, and Lyle both came in with early 68s which brought back memories of their glory days.
"The conditions were ideal. No breeze, the ball holding. It was as good as Muirfield could ever get," said the 49-year-old Smyth, who very nearly failed to make the start.
Smyth strained a leg muscle on Monday afternoon and has been taking anti-inflammatory pain killing tablets.
But there was little sick-looking about his round. Only a bogey at the tough opening hole blotted his scorecard.
It was an equally impressive round from the 44-year-old Lyle, coming back from a disastrous start to the year.
"That really boosted my confidence," smiled Lyle. "It has got the juices flowing again."
Woods opted for a two-iron on the difficult 448-yards, par-four opening hole where accuracy on to a narrow strip of fairway is the priority.
But after stepping away from the ball on his first attempt to get going after an errant photographer snapped a shot, the 26-year-old Woods then blasted his second way right into the thick stuff that makes the East Lothian course such a tough test.
"I was pissed off more than anything when the cameraman took that picture when I was over the ball which is not the thing to do," he said.
"I wasn't as committed second time and consequently hit a poor tee shot." Woods hacked out his second to 70 yards from the pin, but a beautiful chip andought him a nerve-settling par.
Defending champion David Duval disappointed with a 72 as did Ireland’s Paul McGinley. Darren Clarke was two-over playing the 14th.
"I'm better off than being five or six over, so I'm extremely happy."