Former champion John Daly rolled back the years with a brilliant start to lead The Open Championship at St Andrews.
Daly, winner here in 1995 after a play-off with Costantino Rocca, made the most of a flat calm, if rather damp, morning to charge to the turn in just 31.
The flamboyant American - wearing a trademark pair of garish purple and green trousers - was in the sixth group out at 7:36am and made the ideal start with a birdie from 15 feet at the first.
Another followed from 12 feet at the next and, after a run of three pars, the 44 year old holed from eight feet on the sixth as well.
Daly, who had missed the cut in eight of his 12 Open Championship appearances since lifting The Claret Jug, then holed from 25 feet on the eighth and narrowly missed a massive eagle attempt from short of the driveable par four ninth as well.
The subsequent birdie was soon followed by two more on the 11th and 12th and, at seven under par, Daly was two clear of Germany's Marcel Siem, with Australian John Senden and Yorkshire's Simon Dyson a shot further back.
England's Justin Rose, the most in-form player in the world following two wins in his last three starts on the US PGA Tour, continued where he left off with birdies on the first two holes, while playing partner Tiger Woods had also picked up a shot on the second.
In the group behind, five-time champion Tom Watson was looking to repeat his heroics of last year when he came agonisingly close to a remarkable win at Turnberry at the age of 59.
Daly was unlucky not to extend his lead further, a five foot birdie putt on the 12th catching the edge of the hole but spinning out.
Senden was now alone in second place on five under after Siem bogeyed the par five 14th, while pre-tournament second-favourite Rory McIlroy was up into a tie for tenth on three under after driving the short ninth and holing for an eagle two.
Rose and Woods remained two and one under respectively after five, Woods missing from five feet for birdie there, while defending champion Stewart Cink was one under after eight.
Even a player as long as Daly could only make a par on the 618 yard 14th, another birdie putt catching the edge of the hole and staying out.
The low scoring - at 11am 41 of the 72 players out on the course were under par - meant that the chasing pack was growing behind, with Siem setting the clubhouse target with a 67 courtesy of a birdie on the last.
Also five under were McIlroy, Coltart and American Sean O'Hair, who had birdied five of his first seven holes.
