A sparkling 68 has given Luke Donald the chance to redress his abysmal Open record

The generation gap wasn't the only thing that differentiated Luke Donald from his playing partners. In other ways, he was the odd man out. Less than half the age of the other members of the group, the 27-year-old Englishman doesn't yet know what it feels like to own the claret jug.

In contrast, Tom Watson won the British Open five times and Jack Nicklaus achieved the feat three times in his record total of 18 major wins.

Yesterday, though, was not a day to pick the brains of the old sages. No, it was a day to ignore, if he could, the nostalgia associated with partnering the Golden Bear in his last British Open championship.

"There was some light chitchat, but it wasn't anything more than that," admitted Donald, who managed to focus on his game sufficiently well to open with a 68.

"As soon as I saw that pairing, I knew that I was going to have to do a good job of staying in my own bubble, not really get caught up watching Tom or Jack play. I'd just got to concentrate on my own golf," he said.

"I guess playing with those two, unlike a Tiger Woods, was a little less competitive," added Donald, who has risen to 15th in the world rankings.

Indeed, Watson was to observe that watching Donald play so well was a nice diversion from his own game.

"Unfortunately, neither Jack nor myself hit too many good shots, which was disappointing for both of us. But we watched a fine round of golf from Luke. Boy, he putted beautifully. I'm trying to learn something about that putting stroke."

If Donald tried to keep playing with "two greats", as he put it, somewhat low-key, it seemed some of their old magic did rub off. Donald's record in the British Open is quite abysmal. In five appearances he missed the cut each time. He had never even managed to shoot a round in the 60s, a statistic he was finally able to remedy yesterday in a round that featured five birdies and a bogey.

Donald doesn't mind plodding his way around a course. This was no exception. He found 75 per cent of fairways and hit 13 greens in regulation, taking just 27 putts once he was on the putting surface.

The longest birdie putt he holed was a 30-footer on the 13th, and he followed up by birdieing the 14th, which he played exquisitely. Not known as a long hitter, he, nevertheless, reached the edge of the green in two and pitched to three feet for birdie.

Why such an improvement compared to previous British Opens?

"I think in the past I've gotten a little too caught up in trying to adapt my game too much to links golf.

"I'm trying to play the chip-and-run and the long putt from off the green, when I'm really used to playing a normal chip shot. I'm really just playing to my own strengths. I'm not changing my game too much, and that really helped me."

Donald's solid start was, in many ways, a continuation of what he has been doing all season. He contended down the stretch in the Players' Championship, eventually finishing runner-up to Fred Funk, and he was third behind Tiger Woods in the US Masters.

"I think my results are definitely opening a few guys' eyes," he said.

Yesterday, Donald's first birdie came on the third, where he hit a lob wedge to eight feet. Then he chipped to eight feet on the fifth and holed a short putt on the ninth.

His only bogey came on the 11th, where he hit a five-iron through the back of the green.

However, he recovered with those birdies on the 13th and 14th, and, despite failing to secure a finishing birdie on the 18th, the easiest hole on the course, Donald was satisfied with finally making a good start to a major that has frustrated him.

"I'm definitely much more familiar with this course than any of the other Open courses . . . You can't worry about what Tiger or anyone else is doing, you have to stick to what you are doing.

"As soon as you start pressing a little hard, especially on a course like this, where your ball can get caught up in swales and hollows and you can hit a bunker easily, you've just got to stay focused. You've got to take it one shot at a time."

His wish list for the next three rounds? "It depends on how the conditions stay. If the wind stays like this, if I shoot another three 68s I might be close. But who knows?"

At least he has put himself into the chasing pack, which is something he failed to do in other British Opens.