Senior British Open: First-round notebook

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Bruce Vaughan finished tied for 15th in last week's 3M Championship.

• First-round co-leader Bruce Vaughan had one of the day's more interesting scorecards. Vaughan's 3-under-par 68 included eight birdies, eight pars, a double and triple bogey.

• It should come as no surprise that Eduardo Romero sits atop the leaderboard with Bruce Vaughan. In four previous starts at this tournament, Romero owns four top-10 finishes, including a T2 in 2004 and a solo second-place effort in 2006. He was also T9 in 2005 and T4 last year.

• Craig Stadler created some fireworks on the first day when he aced Royal Troon's famous eighth hole dubbed the "Postage Stamp". Stadler used a pitching wedge on the 123-yard hole. It was his fifth career hole-in-one and the first in Champions Tour competition. In addition, Stadler will receive 123 bottles of wine from Hardy's, the European Seniors Tour's Official Wine Supplier. Stadler finished with a 3-over-par 74.

• With Stadler's ace on Thursday there have been nine holes-in-one in this tournament since 2004.

• A total of 20 different countries were represented when the 2008 Senior British Open Championship got under way on Thursday. In addition to a large contingent of players from the United States, the field also included players from the following countries -- United States, Scotland, England, Ireland, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Paraguay, South Africa, Italy, Spain, Taiwan, Argentina, Canada, Northern Ireland, Germany, Chile, Wales, Zimbabwe and Sweden.

• Bob Gilder made his 112nd consecutive start on the Champions Tour on Thursday, a streak that began at the 2004 JELD-WEN Tradition. It is the longest current streak on Tour.

• When he teed it up in Thursday's opening round, Bob Charles was competing in his 22nd Senior British Open. Recently named to the World Golf Hall of Fame, the 72-year-old Charles is the only player to compete in all 22 tournaments and is a two-time champion as well as a former British Open winner.

• The final addition to the field on Thursday morning was Scotland's Garry Harvey, who replaced Craig Maltman. Harvey, who took his fellow countryman's spot when a back injury forced him to the sidelines, was the man who engraved Padraig Harrington's name on the Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale last Sunday.

• The most difficult hole on Thursday was No. 11 with an average score of 4.785 (+.785). No. 12 was the second hardest at 4.556 (+.556). The easiest hole was No. 16 at 4.916 (-.084).

• Defending champion Tom Watson opened with a 1-under-par 70 on Thursday and is currently T7.

• Only 12 players posted rounds under par on Thursday.