Tom Watson nearly shoots his age at Senior Open

Cape Town - Eight-time major champion Tom Watson was a birdie short of shooting his age in the opening round of the Senior Open Championship at St. Andrews on Thursday.

The 68-year-old posted a bogey-free round of 3-under 69 in Scotland.

Watson will turn 69 later this year on September 4.

There are three South Africans in the field at this week's Major: David Frost, James Kingston and Chris Williams.

LIVE: SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND 1

Earlier this year at Augusta National, Watson became the oldest Masters Par-3 Contest winner at age 68.

The prime of Watson's career came in the late 1970s and '80s, when he won his two Masters titles as well as five Opens and the 1982 US Open.

Watson just missed out on a career Grand Slam, settling for a best-finish of second at the PGA Championship in 1978.

He then had an extraordinary Indian summer to his career when he nearly pulled off one of the most astonishing feats in sports history in 2009, settling for second at the Open Championship at Turnberry at age 59.