Heck, look at the other old-timers who found themselves in the rarified air atop the leaderboard. There were 52-year-old O’Meara and 49-year-old Calcavecchia, both at 3-under 67. Calc did it with his wife on the bag — saves on caddy fees, and you don’t mind sharing a room. They both carded 3-under 67s, two astern of Watson and three back Jimenez.

So, all you old-timers, take heart. Here was a day when the greatest golfer on the planet, the peerless Tiger Woods, went out and tried just as hard as he could to put up a low number and succeeded only in getting up close and personal with the gorse and heather. He even took a dip in the burn trickling placidly in front of the 16th. He ended the day at plus-one. Even John Daly shot three strokes better, and he was wearing pants that looked like they were made from your grandmother’s picnic tablecloth.

We know that Tiger can hit fairways and greens. He did it two weeks ago when he won his last tournament. He did it two weeks before the U.S. Open when he won the Memorial. He did it at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill tournament.

Slideshow   Tiger at the British Open Relive Tiger Woods' British Open performances since his first appearance in 1995. more photos

But he’s fallen short lately in the majors, and it’s almost as if for the first time in his life, Tiger Woods is trying too hard to win another major. He’s not the same guy he is in regular tournaments. He’s forcing it, and golf is not a game that consent to coercion.

Tiger will be fine. He’s always figured out what he needs to do, and he’s the most self-confident athlete most of us have ever seen. But he’s struggling now, and while he is, the door is open for everyone else.

We half expected Tiger might have trouble trying too hard to be the greatest. What we didn’t expect was Tom Watson stepping into the vacuum and stealing the show and Jimenez, Calcavecchia and O’Meara coming along for the ride.

I have no idea if it’s even possible for them to keep it up. But I’m sure gonna watch and see.

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