U.S. Open runner-up Rocco Mediate and Scottish Open champion Graeme McDowell birdied the last two holes to grab a share of the clubhouse lead in the British Open first round on Thursday.
The duo took advantage of easing afternoon conditions at a wet, wind-buffeted Royal Birkdale to card one-under-par 69s in the third major of the year.
Mediate, who narrowly failed to pull off a stunning playoff victory over Tiger Woods at last month’s U.S. Open, briefly set the pace on his own after covering the back nine in three under.
Northern Irishman McDowell, a double winner on the 2008 European Tour, then joined him atop the leaderboard by holing a 10-footer on the 18th green.
The pair ended a grueling day on the north-west English coast two ahead of former major winners Retief Goosen and Mike Weir, who defied atrocious weather in the morning to shoot matching 71s.
Mediate, a four-times winner on the PGA Tour, conceded he and McDowell had benefited from afternoon teeoffs.
“Agreed the guys in the morning got it worse because it was much easier without the rain but you still had to get it done,” the 45-year-old told reporters after needing only 21 putts.
“It was fun, it was insane and great to finish like I did. It was a great putting round. I made everything and hopefully I will hit the ball better tomorrow.”
Mediate chipped in at the 17th and holed a 20-footer at the last.
South Korea’s K.J. Choi, bidding to become the first Asian male to win a major, Britain’s Ian Poulter and American Kevin Stadler opened with 72s.
Padraig Harrington, beginning his title defense with a wrist injury, eked out a 74 to lie five strokes off the lead.
Although the absence of injured world number one Woods has opened the door for his rivals, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh failed to take advantage in driving rain and gusts of more than 50-kph (30-mph).
World number two Mickelson stumbled to a 79 while 2002 champion Els and Singh carded 80s. Els dropped nine shots over the back nine en route to his worst start in 18 British Opens.
Birkdale is widely regarded as one of the fairest courses on the Open championship rota but most of the field toiled for survival in the brutal morning conditions.
“It played extremely tough,” twice U.S. Open winner Goosen said after sprinkling three bogeys among three birdies in a wild finish. “The ball was going absolutely nowhere into the wind, pretty much on every hole.
“I made a bad double bogey on five but I chipped in for par on the next. That chip-in sort of turned the nine around.”
Harrington, who won last year’s title at Carnoustie in a playoff with Spaniard Sergio Garcia, was also satisfied with his start after fearing he might not be able to play this week.
“At the first (hole) I struggled to release the club on my right side and I missed a number of shots on the right,” the Irishman said. “But on the back nine I was much more solid.
“The bad day actually helped because there was no time for me to think too much about the shots,” added Harrington, who has been troubled by a sore right wrist since jarring it when using an ‘impact’ bag in the gym at the weekend.
The bad weather claimed two early casualties when 1985 winner Sandy Lyle and 2002 U.S. PGA champion Rich Beem withdrew midway through the round.
“I’d lost all momentum, my fingers were numb and I couldn’t feel the club,” said Briton Lyle, who was 11 over par when he quit after 10 holes.
