Senior British Open 2016: Leaderboard Scores and Highlights from Thursday

A host of legendary talent struggled on Day 1 of the Senior British Open Championship at the Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland, as Tom Byrum claimed the early lead during Round 1. However, a late charge by countryman Woody Austin saw the American capture the overall lead at four under at the end of Thursday. 

Byrum was level with Scott McCarron, Joe Durant, Carlos Franco, Esteban Toledo, Mark O'Meara and Peter Fowler at three under before a swift change over the last few holes of the round.

A humid day on the east coast made conditions perfect for golf, but the elder statesmen of the sport found it difficult to build momentum. 

Hotly tipped Miguel Angel Jimenez ended the day two shots off the lead after posting a round of 70. Former winner Bernhard Langer finished one shot behind the enigmatic Spaniard, as he looks to recapture the title he earned in 2014.

Current holder Marco Dawson could only make even par on his first round, but the lack of a great score from his central opposition means he's still in the hunt.

Here are the latest standings after Thursday's action:

Position	Golfer	Score
1	Woody Austin	-4
T-2	Tom Byrum	-3
T-2	Scott McCarron	-3
T-2	Carlos Franco	-3
T-2	Joe Durant	-3
T-2	Esteban Toledo	-3
T-2	Mark O'Meara	-3
T-2	Peter Fowler	-3
T-9	Magnus P. Atlevi	-2
T-9	Tom Pernice Jr.	-2
T-9	Brad Faxon	-2
T-9	Miguel Angel Jimenez	-2
T-9	Wes Short Jr.	-2

Round 1 Recap

A contingent from the Americas led the proceedings on Day 1 at Carnoustie on Thursday, as a group of players were tied for the early leaderboard advantage.

American Byrum shot three under for the day, as countrymen McCarron and Durant, Paraguay's Franco and Toledo of Mexico all shared the top spot, before Austin's late charge.

Birdies were tough to find despite the fine weather in Scotland; however, Byrum set the tone with a quality second nine. The American birdied Nos. 11, 12 and 16 as he crept ahead. An early bogey on the second prevented him from claiming the joint-overnight lead. McCarron duplicated Byrum's success on the second nine, as he found three birdies. An erratic round by Durant saw him card three bogeys and six birdies to stay in contention.

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Austin stormed through in the afternoon, looking good on the green with his putter in hand after excellent approach play.

The confidence flowed out of the new leader throughout his effort on the second nine, achieving four birdies across six holes to leapfrog the field.

Jimenez remains in position to strike after a controlled effort. The Spanish hero was mediocre on the opening nine, but a birdie on the 12th was soon bettered by eagle on the 14th as the veteran recovered.

Here is a look at the Spaniard's card:

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out
Par	4	4	4	4	4	5	4	3	4	36
Score	4	4	3	4	4	6	4	4	4	37
To Par	-	-	-1	-1	-1	-	-	+1	+1	+1
Hole	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In	Total
Par	4	4	5	3	5	4	3	4	4	36	72
Score	4	4	4	3	3	4	3	4	4	33	70
To Par	+1	+1	-	-	-2	-2	-2	-2	-2	-3	-2

Langer also stayed in contention after his first trip around the stunning links course, recording one under after a difficult first nine.

The German's early birdie on the second was cancelled out by bogey on Nos. 7 and 8, leaving him outside of the top 10 places.

The top positions are filled with underdogs, and there's a great chance for a number of the legends to steam through the field on Friday.

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Jimenez remains competitive on the full tour, and Langer's game is still thoughtful and controlled, and both will make their move in Round 2.

Colin Montgomerie struggled to find rhythm on one of his most familiar courses, as the bold Scot could only shoot four over.

However, Monty did provide one one moment of magic from the deep rough, as he battled against his game, as shared by the tour:

A conservative first round could see an unlikely winner emerge once again, as Dawson did in 2015. 

Carnoustie is notoriously difficult to judge, as the strong breeze rushes in from the coast, and the links specialists will all hold a distinct advantage over the next three days.

The weather changed at the end of Thursday, as conditions became colder and windier. The elements could yet decide which player lifts the trophy at the end of the tournament.