Mark O'Meara's chances of defending his title appear to be gone after an 83 on Thursday.

O'Meara returned the Claret Jug that has occupied a prominent place in his Orlando, Fla., home, and it was as if all the magic went with it. There was O'Meara on Thursday during the opening round of the 128th British Open, whipped in the wind at Carnoustie Golf Links.

The 83 he posted was his highest score ever in 55 rounds played in the world's oldest championship. He could have blamed the brutal conditions, the wind that made club selection impossible, the narrow fairways.

But O'Meara took the high road, pointing the finger at himself for poor play, staying away from the venom spewed by many other players, who probably had a point.

"When you're the defending champion, and you shoot in the 80s, yeah, it's a little embarrassing," O'Meara said. "I tried hard. I hit the ball great on the range, but I didn't hit it well on the golf course. I tried to make bogeys, it was that demanding."

But, O'Meara added: "I have pride. I'm a good player. I should be able to get around in 75 or 76."

O'Meara couldn't do it, hitting just five fairways and five greens in regulation, needing 30 putts. He made two early double-bogeys, then triple-bogeyed the 17th hole. When he chipped in for a birdie at the 18th, it was only a small consolation.

He was not the only past champion to struggle. Tom Lehman shot 76, Nick Price 77, Greg Norman 76, Nick Faldo 78, Seve Ballesteros 80, Sandy Lyle 85, Tom Watson 82.

For O'Meara, the reality of a storybook year coming to an end hits hard. O'Meara, 42, had put together a nice career, winning 14 times on the PGA Tour and earning a fabulous income. He had been asked often about his inability to win a major, but in his 40s, it was becoming less of an issue.

Then came wins at The Masters and British Open, becoming the oldest player to capture two major championships in the same season.

He capped off his Masters victory with a dramatic birdie putt at the 72nd hole, then three months later, added the British when he defeated Brian Watts in a four-hole playoff at Royal Birkdale.

Since then, O'Meara has done his best to take advantage. He played in the Dunhill Cup and the World Match Play Championship, which he won. He took big appearance fees to play in Dubai and Germany. He added to his endorsement portfolio.

And maybe, at this stage of his career, it has had an effect.

"I've tried to capitalize. I've played a lot around the world," said O'Meara, who missed the cut last month at the U.S. Open and has not cracked the top 25 in any tournament since The Players Championship. "Now you can say maybe that's taken a toll. I don't think it has.

"But there are times you are not playing as well as your expectations ... I always feel I have to play well when I tee it up. When I don't, I'm disappointed. You don't get to the point of any good player on the tour without a lot of self pride and push."

O'Meara is regarded as one of the good guys on tour. Even after a tough day, he stopped to answer a few questions, obviously not wanting to talk much about a score that was 12 shots over par.

But his willingness to speak about any subject has also shown another side. O'Meara believes players should be paid for playing in the Ryder Cup. No doubt, others do, too. O'Meara has been the most vocal, however, and it is an argument that is hard to win. Not when he has earned millions of dollars in his career.

When O'Meara suggested that if the players aren't paid, then media members who cover the Ryder Cup should offer up their salary for the week to charity, he didn't receive any hearty endorsements. His view that playing for free should mean no criticism when the United States team loses is also off base.

"I am a professional golfer. This is what I do for a living," O'Meara said. "All I'm saying is there is a lot of money being made somewhere."

Of course, that was of little concern to O'Meara late Thursday afternoon. After shooting 83, he had a golf game to find.

Bob Harig, who covers golf for the St. Petersburg Times, writes a column every Tuesday for ESPN Golf Online.