During the first day of The Open the Road Hole has provided both victims and lucky escapes and BBC Sport Online's Alasdair Lamont has been standing roadside.

The Road Hole has a habit of putting prospective Open champions in their place, and the first round of the millennium Open proved to be no different.

With a lead of two shots after 16 holes, the red-hot Notah Begay found to his cost that poor shots are not punished lightly at the 17th.

But it was neither the road nor the infamous Road Hole bunker which led to Begay's downfall, but the Swilken Burn, more often associated with the 1st hole.

Solitary birdie

The hole was not kind to many of the early starters, with plenty of bogey fives, a few sixes, only a handful of pars, and just one solitary birdie by the American, Loren Roberts.

Begay hit trouble off the tee on the 17th and his second shot also landed in heavy rough.

But it was his third shot, which he shanked left, straight into the Swilken Burn, that really hurt him.

Reviving memories of Jean Van de Velde, Begay rolled up his trouser legs and dropped into the burn, chipping back onto the fairway.

Three putts brought him back to four-under and a five at the last meant he finished on three-under-par.

Things had started so smoothly at the Road Hole.

The first threesome to negotiate it were South African Desvonde Botes, the amateur Philip Rowe, and Scotland's Andrew Oldcorn, all three holing out for a par four.

But it was not long before the road came into play, American Steve Pate, playing in the second group, over-hit his second shot.

Hit the wall

Pate watched as the ball bounced through the green, over the road, hit the wall, and came to rest about yard from the wall.

With little room for a backswing, Pate nudged the ball against the grass verge which surrounds the green and two-putted for a bogey.

The Road Hole has no respect for reputations as Phil Mickelson found to his cost.

The left-handed American also found himself across the road and his attempt at a chip with plenty of backspin lacked power and the ball rolled back onto the path.

He then proceeded to fluff his second chip a little further up the grass verge, and a further chip and a putt left him with a double-bogey six, bringing him back to level par.

Many players were opting to lay up short of the green to leave themselves with a short chip or a long putt, rather than run the risk of the Road Hole bunker or going through the green onto the road.