The Associated Press

SANDWICH, England - Five-time British Open champion Tom Watson is making a habit of starting strong in major championships.

At last month's U.S. Open, Watson opened with a 65 and stayed in contention the next two days.

On Thursday at Royal St. George's, Watson was 3-under and tied for the lead after 16 holes, but took double bogey on the 17th and bogeyed the 18th to finish at even-par 71 - three shots off the lead.

"Those two holes require excellent driving and I didn't put the ball on the fairway," Watson said. "I deserve what I got.

"It leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth playing the last two holes like that but, all in all, I played a pretty good round of golf."

Watson, 53, isn't writing himself off just yet. He's the only player to win the British Open on five courses, though Royal St. George's isn't among them.

"I've never played very well here," Watson said. "There are a lot of blind shots and it takes an awful lot to win here. When Greg Norman won here in the early '90s, he played just magnificent golf to shoot the scores he did with no bogeys on the last day. You have to be right on, not scratchy like I was."

LONG DAY: The first round of the British Open is the longest day in golf.

Too long to finish, in fact.

In a rarity at golf's oldest championship, two groups failed to finish before darkness fell on Royal St. George's. There is only enough light to play golf until about 9:30 p.m. They'll finish play today.

BUNKER MENTALITY: Thomas Bjorn was 2-under par and contending for the lead. He walked off the 17th green with a quadruple bogey, victim of a bunker and his bad temper.

Bjorn's lob wedge for his third shot found the back bunker. When he failed to blast out, he slammed his club into the sand in disgust.

Since he was still in the bunker, he was guilty of grounding his club.

Bjorn was assessed a two-shot penalty, got onto the green and holed the putt for an 8.

OTTO'S BACK: Two years ago, Hennie Otto feared he would never play golf again, let alone lead the British Open.

The South African needed back surgery, then spent several months in pain wondering if he would ever pick up the clubs again.

"I had four months off and thought I was never going to play golf again," said Otto, who held the first-round lead with a 68.

Otto led the qualifying with rounds of 65 and 63.

TIGER'S HUMAN: Coach Butch Harmon isn't worried that Tiger Woods doesn't hold a major title at the moment. He believes there's one just around the corner.

"Everyone has been harping on about Tiger not having a major at the moment and, yes, it is unusual at the moment," he said.

"But he has not had a bad year. You can hardly accuse him of that when he has won four times in 10 outings.

"What this current situation tells me, above all else, is that Tiger is mortal and that golf is golf."

Woods had a triple bogey seven at the first hole Thursday, losing his ball with his tee shot and wound up with a 2-over 73.