Robert Arnott became one more victim of Carnoustie’s brutal finishing holes in the opening round of the British Seniors Open but the Glasgow golfer reckoned he got no more than he deserved.

A double bogey at the 17th hole and another dropped shot at the last punished errant drives and took the Tartan Tour veteran out of a share of the lead.

However he was satisfied with his overall performance.

“This is my debut in the Seniors Open. If you had offered me 72 I’d have taken it,” said the 52-year-old who earned his placed in the 144-man field through the qualifying competition at Montrose on Monday.

“On the last two holes, I hit bad shots to be fair, but sometimes you don’t hit bad shots and you walk off 5, 5.

“But when I hit it into the water at the last if you’d offered me 5 where I was I’d have bitten your hand off.

“I’m pretty happy though. The target here is to make the cut and then if I get through just enjoy yourself.”

He admitted that is not the easiest thing to do at Carnoustie which has the reputation of being the toughest course on the Open rota.

However it is a venue that retains his respect and admiration.

“To be fair I know it’s meant to the fun, but that’s hard work. It’s just a grind,” said Arnott.

“This is my favourite course along with Loch Lomond. You don’t get anything for nothing here. Whatever you shoot you’ve deserved it.”

On what was by no means a day of severe weather Woody Austin edged a shot clear of the pack with a four-under-par round of 68 which might have been even better, an eight foot birdie putt at the last lipping out.

The 52-year-old from Florida who won four events in a solid career on the US Tour, but is best remembered for what he described as an ‘abnormal’ incident on his one professional appearance for the USA at the 2007 President’s Cup.

“I'm the goofball that fell face-first in the water,” he elaborated.

“That was me. So I'd call that abnormal.”

Austin showed his sense of humour at the time by wearing a pair of swimming goggles during his round the next day and he is constantly reminded about it.

“I hear about it all the time,” he said.

“People won't let me hear the end of that. I hear all the time: Where are my goggles; do I still have my goggles; stay away from the water; don't fall in. Especially if I'm anywhere near a lake… even I'm reading a putt, ‘Oh, don't fall in.’ Oh, yeah, I hear about it all the time.”

He has given himself opportunity to enhance his golfing reputation on this side of the pond, by claiming an early lead over a pack of seven players which includes former Open and US Masters champion Mark O’Meara, while .

However he felt it might have been better.

“You always want to sneak ahead of everybody or at least get up there, but it would have been nice to make the last one to get that little two-shot cushion.”