Open 2015: Dustin Johnson leads at St Andrews after day one

Dustin Johnson upstaged playing partner and Grand Slam-chasing Jordan Spieth by posting a seven-under-par 65 on day one of the 144th Open at St Andrews.

Johnson, who finished second behind Spieth at last month's US Open, leads a group including Scotland's 1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie and England's Danny Willett by one shot.

American Spieth, 21, is two shots off the lead after carding a 67.

Three-time winner Tiger Woods started with two bogeys in a miserable 76.

It was his worst score as a professional in the Open at St Andrews and came despite the benign conditions on the Scottish east coast.

In the group with Lawrie and Willett on six under are fancied Australian Jason Day, two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen of South Africa, former Masters champion Zach Johnson and Robert Streb, both of the United States.

Alongside Spieth on five under are Louis Oosthuizen, winner at St Andrews in 2010, and his fellow South African and former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.

Johnson and Spieth make hay

With wind and rain forecast for Friday and Saturday, a low score on the opening day looks to be essential for anyone hoping to contend for the Claret Jug on Sunday.

Johnson made five birdies and an eagle at the par-five fifth, while Spieth mixed seven birdies, including a curling 15-foot putt at the last, with two bogeys at 13 and 17.

"Everyone knows the weather is going to get difficult, so it was important to get off to a good start and try to get as many birdies as you can," said the 31-year-old Johnson, who is seeking is first major win after several near misses.

"The game plan was to get into position after round one and that's what we've done," said Spieth, after his first competitive round at St Andrews.

"I've always dreamed of playing the Open here as it's so iconic, so for my first round to go the way it has is great."

Spieth has won the Masters and US Open this year and remains on course to become the first golfer to complete a calendar Grand Slam of all four majors.

The home challenge

Lawrie, 46, has missed the cut in two of his three previous Opens at St Andrews but made seven birdies to beat his previous best on the Old Course by three shots.

No Englishman has won the tournament since Sir Nick Faldo in 1992 and Yorkshireman Willett remained wary after his 66, which included an eagle at the 10th.

"It could be Armageddon-type stuff on Friday by the looks of the weather forecast," the 27-year-old told BBC Sport.

"The amount of wind there was today, if you played good golf there was a birdie chance on every hole.

"But when it gets to be much worse than that and it's raining too, it can be a lottery."

A gaggle of Englishmen recorded 68s on day one, including former world number one Luke Donald, David Howell and Greg Owen.

World number eight Justin Rose and Lee Westwood, another former world number one, shot 71s.

Westwood, who is yet to win a major, bogeyed his last three holes and blamed his late meltdown on a delay caused by a child picking up a ball which JB Holmes hit into a bush.

"I cooled down and stiffened up a bit," said the 42-year-old Westwood.

"If you can't get a quick ruling at the home of golf, where can you get one? We should have been able to play through."

Not so golden oldies

It was a struggle for two legends playing in their final Opens, with five-time winner Tom Watson signing for a 76 and three-time winner Sir Nick Faldo an 11-over 83, which included five bogeys and an eight at the par-five 14th.

"You can't fall out of a TV tower and come and play in an Open. Silly boy," said Faldo, who would normally be commentating on the action.

Watson's fans were wearing masks to honour the 65-year-old. "Those are ugly masks. I told them there's way too many wrinkles," joked the American.

But one former champion did shine, and brightly. John Daly, winner in 1995, dropped four shots on the back nine but the 49-year-old still carded one under par in some eye-catching trousers.

John Daly is nicknamed 'Wild Thing'

"It looks like someone has eaten some weird-coloured ice cream and thrown up," said BBC Radio 5 live commentator Jay Townsend.

"I've seen wallpaper like John Daly's trousers on Homes Under The Hammer," added Peter Alliss on BBC Two.

Tiger's travails

Fourteen-time major winner Woods has fallen to 241st in the world and his pre-tournament claim that he could win a third title at St Andrews already looked hollow after the first hole, where he pitched his second shot into the Swilcan Burn.

Woods went out in 40 and even a battling 36 on the back nine is unlikely to prevent him missing only his second cut in 19 Opens.

Fellow American great Phil Mickelson, a five-time major winner and 2013 Open champion, fared far better, carding a respectable 70.

World number five Rickie Fowler, winner of last week's Scottish Open, was two shots worse.

Road hole woe

Despite the clement weather, the Old Course was still able to make plenty of players look silly - 1989 champion Mark Calcavecchia made a quintuple-bogey nine at the notorious Road Hole and Ireland's Shane Lowry an eight.

The par-four 17th looks like it will have a major part to play in deciding the champion and did not give up a single birdie to any of the 156 players in action, averaging 4.83 strokes.

In all, six of the back nine holes played higher than their par on day one and players must look to capitalise on the par-five fifth, which played the easiest on the course.

It will be wet and windy early on Friday, with players out later in the day seeing calmer conditions

Amateur hour

Ashley Chesters, a 26-year-old from Shrewsbury, and Paul Kinnear, a 20-year-old from Liverpool, both got to five under only to drop four shots on the final three holes.

Chesters called his closing holes "a horror show", finishing on 71, while Kinnear ended on 70 - with the two among six non-professionals to shoot under par.

Americans Jordan Niebrugge (67) and Oliver Schniederjans (70), Ireland's Paul Dunne and France's Romain Langasque (both 69) lead the race for the coveted Silver Medal awarded to the lowest-scoring amateur.