The old dog for the hard road; or, perhaps, the old dingo for the hard, bumpy and windswept fairways, writes Philip Reid from Sandwich.

Either way, Greg Norman - all 48 years of him, and playing in his 23rd Open - returned to a favoured haunt, the scene of his 1993 win in the championship, and played as if he hadn't got an aching bone in his body.

He wasn't the only elder lemon to have a sweet taste in his mouth after his first-round efforts. While the Great White Shark was signing for a 69 - rekindling the good old days - there was also a dogged performance from another legendary player, Tom Watson. Despite a double bogey-bogey finish, Watson went round in 71, a score that would have been gleefully grabbed by players two or three decades younger.

For Norman, though, this was a round that came from nowhere. This is only his third tournament of the year, and the other two didn't promise anything like this. In the Players' championship, he withdrew after shooting 78 in the first round; and, in the Byron Nelson Classic, he finished tied-67th. The return to Sandwich inspired him, and there were occasions that he even attempted to replicate shots similar to those that won him the claret jug a decade ago.

One instance was his play of the fourth, now a par five. "I had 194 yards to that hole, and I had basically four different ways of playing it. And that's why I love links golf . . . with one shot, I could have hit four different golf clubs and tried to get it in the same position.

"Fortunately for me, I saw the shot as I was walking up to it, before I even knew what the yardage was. I remember playing it in 1993, to tell you the truth." So it was that he hit a bump and run with a four-iron which finished six inches from the hole. Tap-in eagle time.

All in all, it was a good day's work on the golf course for Norman, something that hasn't happened too often this year. "Believe me, I wish I had six or seven tournaments under my belt. Under conditions like this, it is just a matter of controlling your emotions. You have to have your mind set on staying relaxed and just make a solid stroke. I'd loved to have played more golf before coming here but I couldn't do that and, so, I had to get myself here and feel that I could compete."

Norman's initial expectations were low coming into the championship, given his lack of tournament sharpness, but he believes that the old competitive instincts are still there.

"If I can get myself into position after the first two rounds, hopefully the momentum will start to build up . . . but I've just got to take it and play it one shot at a time and see where it will end up.

"The golf course was all there, baring her teeth all the way around," admitted Norman. All of which made the performances of Norman and Watson all the more admirable. For Watson, it was another indication he can still craft shots like those of old, when he won five British Opens between 1975 and 1983.

On three-under with two holes to play, Watson (53) was actually in a share of the lead. "I finished ugly," he remarked of his three dropped shots. "What happened turned a very enjoyable round into an average round," he added.

Watson is here without his caddie Bruce Edwards, who has a terminal illness. But the golfer said, "Bruce was here in spirit. I think he helped me a couple of times reading putts out there. His spirit is with me."