Nick Faldo recaptured enough of his famous competitive edge yesterday to shoot a 3-under-par 68 for a share of the lead in his Champions Tour debut in Gullane, Scotland.
The six-time major champion made six birdies -- including a 3-foot putt at the last hole -- in the first round of the Senior British Open at Muirfield, where he won two of his three Opens, in 1987 and '92.
Joining Faldo at 3 under were 65-year-old Dave Stockton, a regular on the Champions Tour, Nick Job, and Gordon J. Brand.
It looked like the Faldo of old at Muirfield. He found the fairways with ease, staying away from deep rough that has been made more difficult by weeks of heavy rain. He hit accurate approach shots to the pins to roll in three close-range birdie putts in a row from the third.
But it was his birdie at the last that gave him the most satisfaction after he hit a 182-yard, 6-iron within 3 feet of the flag.
"I went for the shot. I thought, right, just squeeze one up close -- and I did," said Faldo, who had his 18-year-old son, Matthew, carrying his clubs.
Faldo's accuracy was all the more remarkable because last week's British Open was the only tournament he had played for several months. And he missed the cut at Carnoustie.
He went out with Tom Watson (70) and Mark O'Meara (72), a trio with a combined 16 majors.
O'Meara is another newcomer to senior golf this season. Faldo's opening tee shot found the rough an O'Meara's ball landed in a fairway bunker. Both bogeyed the first hole while Watson made par.
PGA -- Hunter Mahan had to rely on the crowd to tell him where his approach shot ended up on the ninth green in the Canadian Open.
The load roar made it easy to figure out he holed the 81-yard shot for his third eagle of the round -- and second on a par-4 hole.
Playing in perfect scoring conditions on Angus Glen's North Course in Markham, Ontario, Mahan also holed out from 189 yards on No. 18 -- the ninth hole of his morning round -- and made a more routine eagle with a 10-foot putt on the par-5 11th. He finished with a 9-under 62 to match the tournament record and take a two-stroke lead.
Three other players have shot 62s in the Canadian Open, all at Glen Abbey. Leonard Thompson set the mark in 1981 and Andy Bean matched it in 1983, both when Glen Abbey played to a par of 71. Greg Norman did it in 1986, when par was 72.
Australia's Steve Allan was second after a 64, and Canadian David Hearn was another stroke back along with Tripp Isenhour. Mark Calcavecchia, the 2005 champion in Vancouver, shot a 67 in the breezy afternoon session. Jim Furyk, the winner last year at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, had a 69, also in the afternoon.