Rodney Pampling posted an even-par 71 to take the clubhouse lead.

As a slight breeze increased in the morning to torment the players for most of the day, Pampling's round looked more impressive at the end of the day when he led by a over playing partner Bernhard Langer of Germany and American Scott Dunlap.

"It takes a lot out of you," Langer said. "I'm just glad to get the first round over."

No one broke par, the first time that has happened in the first round of the British Open since Ian Woosnam led at even-par at Turnberry in 1986. The average score was more than 78, the highest round of any major this decade.

"If the average player had to play out there, he'd probably quit the game -- a lot of pros, too," said David Duval after a 79. A par on the 18th kept Duval from joining 57 other players who failed to break 80.

No big name suffered more on the long, tight course than Spanish teen Sergio Garcia, who staggered in with an 18-over 89.

The 19-year-old Irish Open champion began with a triple-bogey 7 and never recovered, then went off for two hours with his family to gather himself before speaking to the media.

"Today is forgotten. I am not going to worry about this round," he said. "It's part of the learning experience. I will try again to play well tomorrow."

Garcia wasn't alone in his misery. Defending champion Mark O'Meara had an 83, and five-time champion Tom Watson, who won here in 1975 when the Open was last played in Carnoustie, an 82.

A large group at 80 included three-time champion Seve Ballesteros and 1998 U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen. Duval, Payne Stewart and Phil Mickelson were in a group at 8-over 79.

Stewart, like Watson, was less than pleased with the course.

"It could actually be a place where people wish they'd missed the cut," said Stewart, who was patient enough at Pinehurst to win the U.S. Open last month.

A large group was just two shots off the pace at 2-over 73, including 1997 champion Justin Leonard, Dudley Hart, Steve Pate, Hal Sutton, Len Mattiace, Mark McNulty and Paul Lawrie.

Lurking among the group at 74 are Tiger Woods, Davis Love III, Colin Montgomerie and Ernie Els.

Pampling 's 71 was the reward for the five rounds of practice he had put in learning the course over five days since arriving in Britain. He used an unusual club, a driving iron with 18 degrees of loft -- most drivers are around 10 degrees -- to control the ball off the tee.

It paid off as he parred the first 11 holes before dropping a shot at he 12th. He got that back with a birdie at 13 then eagled the long 14th, one of only seven eagles on the day.

Bogeys at the 15th and 17th on Carnoustie's daunting finishing stretch dropped him back to par.

"I knew it was a good round, but I didn't know it would be a leading one. It was nice to sit in front of the television and watch them suffer," he said of those giving chase.

Of the big names, Montgomerie and Els both said they would happily take three more 74s after battling for their scores. Montgomerie was particularly pleased after playing eight holes in 3-over, which is where he eventually finished.

Montgomerie, who shares the Carnoustie course record of 64, said the wind was not severe.

"This was a breezy summer's day here, nothing more than that," he said.

Els, however, said the wind was a factor.

"We have never seen a golf course like this," he said. "Most of the guys have played in a wind like this but not on a course like this."

Woods, who made bogey on Nos. 16 and 17 coming in, felt he could have been better.

"I wanted to shoot level-par. But I felt par was 75 or 76, so I beat that," he said. "It wasn't exhilarating, that's for sure. I would say it was more of a job today than anything else."

He felt the hardest part was "making sure you strike the ball solid and be committed to your lines. You have to be committed to your target and not second guess yourself.