SANDWICH, England (AFP) ? Tom Watson stole the show as the second round of the British Open got under way on Friday, sinking a hole-in-one at the 169-yard, par-three sixth.
The 61-year-old American legend, who came within one putt of winning the year's third Major at Turnberry two years ago, stood on the sixth tee at even for the round after five straight pars.
His four-iron shot hit the centre of the green and with one hop disappeared into the cup to roars of approval from the gallery. That left him at even par for the tournament after his 72 on Thursday.
It was the second hole-in-one of the tournament following that of American Dustin Johnson at the 16th in Thursday's opening round and the seventh in the last decade.
Watson, however, is not the oldest player to record a hole-in-one in the Open as Gene Sarazen was 71 when he aced the famous Postage Stamp at Troon in 1973.
More was to come from the ever-popular Watson as he stood over a 20-foot putt for an eagle three at the next hole, but missed it left of the hole for a birdie to get to under par for the tournament.
That put him in with a good chance of once again making the cut for the weekend.
Watson is playing in his 34th Open having first competed at Carnoustie in 1975, and he has won the tournament five times.
But this is the first time in 115 rounds of Open golf that he has fired a hole-in one.
Watson's Open wins came back in the 1970s and 1980s, but after a hip replacement operation he has found a new lease of life in recent years and provided one of the sports stories of the year at the Turnberry Open two years ago.
On that occasion he had a putt to win the tournament for a sixth time at the 72nd hole, but came up short and then lost a four-hole playoff to fellow American Stewart Cink. He missed the cut last year at St Andrews.
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