Spain's Miguel Angel Jiménez was in scorching form on the baked fairways of Muirfield after racing to five under par midway through his opening round at the 142nd Open Championship.
The 49 year old kick-started his round in relatively benign conditions on the Scottish links with three successive birdie threes and maintained that momentum to the turn.
Jiménez, who became The European Tour’s oldest winner in Hong Kong last year, came within inches of continuing that remarkable run at the par three fourth as he almost holed his chip having gone through the back of the green.
But he was soon back on the birdie trail, two-putting from distance at the par five fifth, and although his 50 footer for birdie lipped out at the eighth he splashed out of a greenside bunker at the par five ninth and holed from ten for his fifth gain of the day to go out in 31.
That gave him a three shot lead over compatriot Rafael Cabrera-Bello who had three birdies in his first six holes before reaching the turn in 34.
England's Oliver Fisher, in the first group out at 6.33am, had threatened briefly after getting to three under through five holes but dropped back to one under.
German Martin Kaymer's sedate round of four successive pars was boosted by a 20 foot eagle putt from off the front of the fifth which put him within touching distance of Jimenez.
Americans Dustin Johnson, Brandt Snedeker and Phil Mickelson were also two under but the latter's playing partner and World Number Two Rory McIlroy was yet to get his round going and was one over after three successive pars were followed by a three-putt bogey at the short fourth.
It was a similar story for US Open winner Justin Rose, who had five successive pars, while defending champion Ernie Els, who lifted the Claret Jug the last time the tournament was held here in 2002, was one over.
The leaderboard also featured another former Open champion in Todd Hamilton, the surprise winner in 2004, who was one under.
Cabrera-Bello birdied the 11th to get to three under, which was quickly matched by Johnson with a three at the eighth.
That cut Jiménez's lead to one as, after driving into the rough at the tenth, he could only advance the ball short of the green and eventually missed an eight foot par putt.
Snedeker had a double-bogey at the fourth after being forced to play out sideways from a bunker and dropped another shot at the next.
McIlroy also had trouble in the sand and it cost him a second successive bogey.
Having pulled his second from the right rough into a bunker, he was faced with an awkward stance. His ball hit the face of the trap and rebounded backwards - fortuitously staying out of the sand - and, although the Northern Irishman putted up to within six feet, he missed his par.
Rose three-putted the fourth green for his first bogey of the day but Johnson finished his front nine strongly with a second successive birdie thanks to a short birdie putt to move level with Jiménez at four under.
Cabrera-Bello made it a three-way tie at the top with a birdie two at the 12th while Hamilton posted the clubhouse lead on two under after a birdie at the 17th.
