Garcia leads way with opening 65

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland -- Sergio Garcia put memories of his previous disastrous major showing at Carnoustie firmly behind him with a superb opening round of 65 to lead the Briitish Open on Thursday.

The Spaniard had stumbled to an 89 followed by an 83 when the Open was last played on the testing Scottish links back in 1999.

But seven birdies with his only dropped shot on the par three 16th left Garcia two clear of European Ryder Cup colleague Paul McGinley of Ireland as he searches an elusive first major win.

"I really did not think about it much, except when I holed the putt for birdie on the first. I turned to my caddy and said, "well it's four shots better than last time," Garcia said after his round.

"You guys want to make it all about revenge but it is really not about that for me. I have always loved this course, the championship and links golf.

"I don't want to get ahead of myself but I just want to keep doing what I'm doing and at least have a chance on Sunday. It is a good start, definitely what the doctor ordered."

In the chasing group on three under, Rory McIlroy, an 18-year-old amateur from Northern Ireland, rubbed shoulders with U.S. Open winners Angel Cabrera and Michael Campbell, as well as China Open winner Markus Brier and American journeyman Boo Weekley.

Tiger Woods was a shot further back, level with Asia's leading competitor KJ Choi and Padraig Harrington among others.

World number two Phil Mickelson is also handily placed on level par, the same mark as former champion Erne Els.

American Ryder Cup star and South African Retief Goosen were in a powerful group on one-under-par as the world's best players jostled for position on a cold but generally good day for scoring.

Surprise 1999 winner Paul Lawrie, who played with Woods and Englishman Justin Rose (75), carded a 73, while fellow Scottish hope Colin Montgomerie was on the same mark after a frustrating day on the greens.

There were no such problems with Garcia who used a belly-shafted putter to great effect as he came home on the more difficult back nine in 31, immediately retrieving his dropped shot on the 16th with a birdie on 17.

A sand save on the tough 499-yard final hole where he holed a testing six-footer rounded out Garcia's day.

John Daly threatened to join him with a score in the mid-60s as he eagled the 383-yard 11th to go to five under par, but the former British Open and U.S. PGA winner ended up dropping eight in his final seven holes to finish with a 74. E-mail to a friend