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TROON, Scotland -- Four days after nearly making history at the British Open, Greg Norman labored to a 75 in Thursday's opening round at the Senior British Open to be seven shots behind co-leaders Eduardo Romero and Bruce Vaughan.
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Norman, 53, led the Open at Royal Birkdale with nine holes to play Sunday and appeared on course to become the oldest winner of a major, but he eventually saw the title go to playing partner Padraig Harrington.
Owner of two Open titles, the last in 1993, Norman has yet to win a seniors title and is hoping his fourth ever event in over-50s golf might make up for the hurt of Sunday's final round.
In sunny conditions at Troon, Norman bogeyed six of the first 10 holes and was 6 over before he finally picked up a shot at the par-4 13th. He made one more birdie at the last with a pitch to 3 feet.
"Things just weren't going my way early on," Norman said. "I just had to hang in there and guts it out the best I could. The ball just wasn't rolling my way. There's more than one round in a golf tournament.
"I got to the first tee and I never played this golf course in this wind before. I didn't feed that confident with some of the tee shots and I hit it into a couple of divot holes, which didn't make me feel good on the first few holes."
Romero, who lost a playoff to Loren Roberts in this championship two years ago at Turnberry, won the Dick's Sporting Goods Open at Endicott, N.Y., three weeks ago for his second seniors triumph.
Romero made one bogey in a 3-under 68, driving into a fairway bunker at the par-5 sixth hole and having to lay up.
"I feel strong, I feel good and I feel happy," said the Argentine, whose highlight was a 15-foot birdie putt at the 17th.
"I think this is my week. I love this tournament and I am in good form, especially my putting."
Vaughan, who made eight birdies, and Romero lead by one stroke over Andy Bean, John Cook and Kirk Hanefield of the United States and England's Nick Job.
Vaughan spoiled his opening round with a double-bogey 7 at the fifth after hacking out of the rough, and a triple-bogey at the 12th, where his bunker shot flew over the green and almost hit a spectator.
But he recovered to play the last six holes at 3-under par.
