GULLANE, Scotland — Zach Johnson has sure figured out how to play the first round of the British Open.
Tiger Woods must prove he still knows how to finish a major.
Bouncing back from a tough loss last weekend, Johnson opened with a 5-under 66 on a sunny Thursday at Muirfield — another brilliant start after a 65 at Lytham last year.
"I don't know what the secret is," Johnson said. "I hit some nice shots and obviously I putted really, really well."
Can he keep it going? A year ago, the 2007 Masters champion followed up with a 74 in the second round on the way to a ninth-place finish.
"This game demands resilience," Johnson said. "That just comes with experience."
Woods has plenty of experience winning majors — he's got 14 of 'em — but it's been more than five years since he captured the last one, the longest drought of his career in the tournaments that matter most.
Woods also got off to a strong start, shooting a 69 in the increasingly difficult conditions of the afternoon, but don't get too worked up about his chances just yet.
He shot 67 in the opening round each of the last two years.
He didn't win either time.