ST. ANDREWS, Scotland: Jordan Spieth got his Open campaign off to a promising start at St. Andrews on Thursday, but in the end he had to bow to playing partner Dustin Johnson.

Tiger Woods, meanwhile, had another round of major misery and already he is facing a battle to avoid a third missed cut in the last four majors.

Spieth got the better of Johnson on the 18th hole last month when he added the US Open to his breakthrough win in April at the Masters.

But no hard feelings were evident between the American pair as they happily bantered away together and bagged birdies on a morning of low scoring.

Both reached the turn at five under 31 after which it was Johnson who excelled down the more difficult back nine.

He moved out to seven under 65, while Spieth’s normally reliable putter suddenly sputtered, coughing up bogeys at 13 and 17, the notorious Road Hole.

The 21-year-old Texan, however, sunk a snaking 20-footer for birdie at the last and a round of 67.

Both Americans clearly stated their case that they are among the main men to beat at the fabled Old Course this week.

In the absence of the injured Rory McIlroy, Spieth is the focal point of the tournament as he can add the British open crown to the Masters and US Open titles he already owns, thus becoming just the second player, after Ben Hogan in 1953, to do so.

Johnson just wants to win a major after near misses in all four Grand Slam tournaments in recent years.

His mid-morning draw, he agreed, had been beneficial.

“Everybody knows the weather Friday and Saturday is going to be very difficult, so today I thought was very important to get off to a good start and try to make as many birdies as you can today because the next couple days it’s going to be very difficult,” he said.

His seven-under 65 gave him the clubhouse lead, one clear of a quartet led by Scotland’s 1999 champion Paul Lawrie, who warmed the hearts of the home fans, most of whom were well wrapped up to counter the elements.

Lawrie was joined on that mark by Australian shotmaker Jason Day, South Afria’s Retief Goosen and American Robert Streb.

Goosen, who had to go through the Open qualifiers after two years of struggles and injury, said that he was wary of getting too far ahead of himself.

“You never know over here. The temperature in the last 45 minutes has suddenly dropped, too. It can be sunny the one moment and very cold the next. We’ll just take it as it comes tomorrow,” he said at the end of his round.

Woods easily bettered Spieth and Johnson in the gallery stakes, but his play, sadly for him, was far from being up to scratch and some of the fans started drifting away .

The former world No. 1, mired in the worst slump of his career, limped out in four over 40 at which point he was next to last in the standings.

He finally bagged a birdie at 14 to give himself some hope and came in with a 76 that leaves him with a big battle on his hands just to make the cut.

There was heartache too for Tom Watson, the 65-year-old, five-time former champion playing in the Open for the 38th and final time.

He went out in a handsome 35, but three double bogeys down the back nine saw him resigned to a 76 that makes his goal of making the cut next to impossible.

“I’m going to have to play an extraordinary round tomorrow probably to make the cut. That’s the way I look at it,” he said.

Others in early with good scores were the 2010 champion at St. Andrews, Louis Oosthuizen, and fellow South African and former Masters winner Charl Schwartzel, who both had 67s.

The top groupings setting off in the afternoon, when conditions were worsening, saw 2013 champion Phil Mickelson go out with top European Henrik Stenson of Sweden and fellow American Matt Kuchar.

Shortly after them, three-time winner Nick Faldo at 58 will tee it up one last time with top British hope Justin Rose and last week’s Scottish Open champion Rickie Fowler.