Miguel Angel Jiménez equalled the lowest first round in Open Championship history with a six under par 64 - but Tom Watson was still the talk of Turnberry.
Two months short of his 60th birthday, the five time Open Championship winner made a dream start to what he insists is not simply a trip down memory lane this week.
After his superb 65, Watson - set to be the oldest player ever to lead a Major at the end of a full round until Jiménez birdied the last two holes - said: "I feel that I'm playing well enough to win. I feel inspired playing here."
And Jiménez sent a message to Seve Ballesteros after taking the first round lead.
Ballesteros held the Claret Jug aloft three times, but is now recovering from four operations to remove a brain tumour.
"Seve's meant a lot for the Tour, for lots of people," said his 1997 Ryder Cup vice-captain Jiménez after a six under par 64 which equalled the lowest first round in Open history.
"He's the mentor of the Tour and players like me are looking up to him. It's something that you're never going to forget.
"To see the way he fights and the way he is going forward gives you lots of motivation to do anything in life.
"The power is inside yourself and the power is inside Seve. And I just want to say keep going and see you soon on the fairways."
Jimenez is 45 and would be the fourth oldest winner of the title. With two to play the Malaga golfer was one behind, but he two putted the long 17th and then holed a 60 footer on the last.
"You can't ask a better day to play off. No wind, no nothing - and it took care of me."
On Watson's performance he added: "What a legend. We have to feel very proud to play with him - and still playing at the level he plays.
"Experience is always important in the Majors and it's great to have a player with that charisma on the top of the leaderboard."
The oldest man in the 156-strong field claims he has never seen anything more stunning in golf than Tiger Woods winning the 2000 US Open Championship by 15 shots.
But if he does go on to equal Harry Vardon's record six victories on Sunday it will surely take the place of that. Greg Norman coming close to the Claret Jug at 53 last year has nothing on this.
"It would be amazing," said Watson, who underwent hip replacement surgery last October and at the Masters Tournament in April - his last major round - posted an 83.
That was on the beast that is now Augusta National, though. This was round a Turnberry course that could not have been more docile.
Even though he agreed, "she was defenceless", nothing should detract from what Watson achieved. Woods, after all, managed only a one over par 71 and Norman a 77.
Watson's famous ‘Duel in the Sun’ with Jack Nicklaus is now 32 years ago. He finished with back-to-back 65s that week and had another to be the halfway leader the last time The Open was staged there 15 years ago.
With the 2003 Senior Open Championship title won over the lay-out as well - he competes for a fourth of those at Sunningdale next week - nobody knows it better and he noted: "There are some certain shots out here that the kids are unfamiliar with.
"Playing the practice rounds I felt very good about the way I was hitting the ball. And because links golf is not played very much the older guys have an advantage. We kind of get a feel for it and that feel is worth its weight in gold."
Just prior to The Championship Watson had received a "good luck" text from Nicklaus's wife Barbara and he stated: "There's something slightly spiritual about today - and the serenity of it was pretty neat."
Playing partner Sergio Garcia, who shot a level par 70, called Watson's display "awesome" and needless to say 16 year old Italian Matteo Manassero, the third member of the group and the youngest-ever British amateur champion, was blown away by it too.
"I wish I had his putting stroke," said Watson. He knows that, as in 1994 when he fell back to 11th, it is the club most likely to let him down.
Not in the opening round, though. After an eight footer went in on the first he holed from 20 feet at the third, 12 on the tenth and then eight again on the 12th and 17th.
Watson's 65 was matched by 2003 champion Ben Curtis and right at the end of the day by Japan's Kenichi Kuboya, who finished sensationally - birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie - for an inward 30.
American Curtis, 396th in the World Rankings six years ago when he became the first debutant to take the title since Watson at Carnoustie in 1975, now stands 27th in the rankings and four birdies in the last six holes made him the second player to shoot 65.
The group on four under included Australian John Senden - who a week ago was only the seventh reserve for the event and it was only on arriving from Texas on Tuesday that Jeev Milkha Singh's side muscle injury let him in.
