Australia’s Adam Scott flirted with golfing history in the first round of the British Open at Royal Lytham on Thursday before settling for a six-under par 64 and the clubhouse lead. The 31-year-old from Adelaide, seen as one of the best players currently not to have won a major title, came to the last needing a birdie to become the first player in the long history of the majors to record a 62. Instead, a wayward drive into thick Lancashire rough resulted in a closing bogey and meant that Scott was even deprived the satisfaction of joining the 25 other golfers who have recorded 63s in major golf. It was enough, however, to place him atop the leaderboard with the lowest first round ever fired in 11 Opens at Lytham and it matched the course record in Open play, the third-round 64 by Tom Lehman on his way to victory in 1996. “I just pulled my 2-iron slightly off the tee. It’s quite an awkward tee shot with no wind, even. And just got myself in a bit of trouble and tried to be smart and chip out and chip on, but didn’t quite hit a good third shot and left myself too much work,” Scott said of his bogey at the last.
