Phil Mickelson millimetres away from carding record score, settles for 63 at Open

ByEurosport

Updated 14/07/2016 at 20:17 GMT

Phil Mickelson was millimetres away from carding the lowest round at a major, settling for an eight-under 63 in the first round of The Open.

Phil Mickelson reacts after a missed birdie putt on the 18th green d

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Aided by birdies on 10, 14, 16 and 17 on Royal Troon's dangerous back nine, Mickelson equalled the record low for majors. He had a curling 15-foot putt for birdie on 18 that would have given him a 62, but the ball circled the hole and then came to rest just outside it.

"That was one of the best rounds I've ever played yet I want to shed a tear now," 2013 British Open winner Mickelson told reporters after his eight-under 63 left him three strokes clear of the field.

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"That putt was an opportunity to do something historic. With a foot to go I thought I had done it.

I saw that ball rolling right in the centre, I went to go and get it, I had that surge of adrenaline that I had just shot a 62 and then I had the heartbreak that I didn't.

Mickelson's effort was the 28th round of 63 in major history. The first one was posted by fellow American Johnny Miller in the 1973 US Open at Oakmont.

Fans hold up a sign for Phil Mickelson

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Patrick Reed had earlier taken the clubhouse lead midway through the day, posting a score of five under, as early favourites climbed close to him before sliding back down.

Reed had a stellar start as he holed his second shot on the short par-4 3rd hole to kickstart his round, then added three more birdies in the next four holes to get to -5.

Rory McIlroy's two-under-par round of 69 was built around a run of four birdies in five holes on the front nine, and while he dropped shots on the much tougher inward stretch - with a double-bogey on 13 and a bogey on 14 - he got one back on the 15th and parred his way in for a solid start.

Several players had similarly fast starts, but almost all faltered on the much tougher inward half of the course - except Reed, who off-set bogeys on 10 and 13 with birdies on the 12th and 18th holes for a fine opening round that left him five under par.

Reed was joined by Martin Kaymer in a tie for second, with eight men one shot back.

World number three Jordan Spieth finished level par after an opening round of 71, but world number one Jason Day struggled as he shot a 73, hitting only 10 of 18 greens in his opening round.

Colin Montgomerie, boosted by one of the best strokes of his 29-year career, had the home crowd eating out of the palm of his hand as he posted a level-par 71.

The 53-year-old Scot, who is a member at Royal Troon and was given the honour of hitting the first shot of the championship, briefly led the field after reeling off five birdies in seven holes on the front nine.

Colin Montgomerie plays out of a bunker on the first hole during the first round

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The day didn't start well for Montgomerie: he stepped onto the tee and hit a 220-yard shot down the fairway, but found trouble with a second shot that plugged in one of Troon's deep greenside bunkers.

With playing partners Marc Leishman and Luke Donald waiting safely on the green, Montgomerie needed two shots to get out of the bunker, the second of them chopped backwards away from the green.

Monty ended up with a double bogey on first, but roared back with birdies on the 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 9th holes to delight the home crowd.

On the tougher back nine he leaked the shots he'd made up, posting bogeys at the 11th, 14th and 16th holes. He needed a 50ft putt to save par on the 13th, and saved par with another cracking effort from 20ft on the last.