Watson & Kite top leaderboard

Tom Watson extended his love affair with Turnberry when he carded a four-under-par 66 to share the lead with Tom Kite in the first round of the Senior British Open on Thursday.

The two Americans go into the second round one shot ahead of a group comprising defending champion Noboru Sugai of Japan, Britain's Russell Weir, Denis Durnian and Carl Mason, Americans Mark McCumber and Fuzzy Zoeller, and Ireland's Des Smyth.

Maurice Bembridge, Malcolm Gregson, Bill Hardwick, and Bruce Summerhays shared 10th place on two-under-par 68. Former Open champion Jack Nicklaus, playing with Watson, shot a 71.

Watson, who defeated Nicklaus in the famous "Duel in the Sun" at the 1977 British Open, wrote a new chapter in the Ailsa course's history with a fine round including five birdies and just one dropped shot.

The 53-year-old made his first move when he birdied the 381- yard par-four second but dropped a shot at the 174-yard par three fourth.

He jumped to the top of the leaderboard with three successive birdies from the seventh, consolidating his position with a further birdie on the the treacherous 209-yard par-three 15th.

"I have to say I got a bit lucky out there," said Watson, who won five Open titles between 1975 and 1983.

"I hit a lot of bad drives but every time I went into the rough I seemed to have a play.

"I don't think I can count on being so lucky tomorrow," he added.

Kite, the 1992 U.S. Open champion, dropped two shots on his opening hole but then made the turn in level par after birdies on the 381-yard par-four second and the par-five seventh.

He moved to two under with successive birdies on the 13th and 14th and finished his round in fine style with further birdies on the par-five 17th and the 18th.

"I have to admit it wasn't quite the start I was looking for," said Kite. "It was a bit of a slap in the face but I have been playing well for the last couple of weeks so I didn't let it get me down.

"Overall, I have got to be pleased with the round, particularly with the way I played the last six holes. Any time you play that stretch in four under par you know you have played pretty good golf."

Sugai, a 100-1 outsider when he won last year's title at Royal County Down, showed that performance was no fluke with a spectacular round that included a brilliant outward nine of five-under-par 30.

He also birdied the par-three 11th before dropping shots at the 14th, 16th and 18th.

One of the most impressive rounds of the day was the 67 by English rookie Mason.

Twenty four hours before the start of the tournament Mason, a former Scottish Open champion, learned he had been paired with Watson and Nicklaus.

"I have to admit I was nervous when we started out this morning," he said. "It isn't every day you get drawn with two legends so I didn't get much sleep last night.

"But, once I got going, I settled down a bit. In fact, I really enjoyed it. Jack and Tom could not have been nicer to me."

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