Berkshire, England (My Sportsbook) - Tom Watson's e-mail account was so full of messages he couldn't open it.

Indeed, the 59-year-old can't remember a time when he felt so popular.

But, even as he obsessed over his missed putt on the 72nd hole of the British Open, Watson was ready to move on to the next task.

"That was a big story last week for me," said Watson. "But here it's a different story this week. I've got to write it. Let's get on with it."

Four days after his playoff loss to Stewart Cink at Turnberry, where he was trying to become the oldest major champion, Watson opened with a three-under 67 in the first round of the Senior British Open on Thursday.

Fred Funk grabbed the lead at Sunningdale with a six-under 64, while Jay Haas and Loren Roberts both shot four-under 66s to share second place with Des Smyth and Christopher Williams.

But it was Watson, who was tied for sixth place with four other players, including Tom Kite and Greg Norman, who was garnering the most attention as the second Champions Tour major of the season got underway.

Another distraction -- this one tragic -- emerged when Watson learned early Thursday that a friend had died of brain cancer, someone just a couple of years older than him.

"So it was a good day, but kind of a sad day," he said.

Watson arrived from Scotland on Monday wanting to replay the eight-foot putt he missed the day before on Turnberry's 18th green, forcing the four-hole playoff that Cink won easily.

"The heck with it," Watson decided. "That's history. That's over and done with.

"I said, 'Well, I'm going to be too tired to play a practice round,' and then said, 'Don't wuss out. Just go out and play. You need to get to know the golf course.' And so I went out and played it."

Starting his bid for a fourth Senior Open title, Watson began his round with a birdie on the first hole Thursday, then made back-to-back birdies at the fourth and fifth.

He took a bogey on the sixth, but bounced back with a birdie at No. 9 to make the turn in 32 shots. Watson played the back nine at even-par, making a bogey at the 11th and a birdie at the 14th.

It was about as good a round as Watson could be expected to have, considering the litany of distractions surrounding the American.

"I played a good round of golf, kept the ball in play off the tee. That's what I did last week. I kept the ball in play off the tee, which is critical here," said Watson. "You can get in some bad lies here just like you could at Turnberry. You have the heather (grass), and you have the bunkers; these are beautiful bunkers here. And I'm obviously happy with a 67 starting out. It was a good score."

Watson was just a shot off the lead when he finished his round, but Funk buried him deeper when he fired the lowest first round score in Senior British Open history.

Funk, who won his first senior major at last year's JELD-WEN Tradition, also started with a birdie on the first hole. But he struggled to gain momentum from it as he scratched out nine consecutive pars on the Old Course.

"It's pretty easy to get out of position here, and then you're in trouble," said Funk.

The back nine was a different story. Finding it easier to set himself up for birdies, Funk made five of them on the way into the clubhouse to finish off his record-setting 64 and take the lead.

Gary Player (1988), Loren Roberts (2006), Craig Stadler (2006) and Peter Jacobsen (2006) all posted five-under 65s in their opening rounds at this event to share the previous 18-hole mark.

Funk is trying to become just the sixth player to win the Senior Open in their first appearance, and he's finding Sunningdale sets up nicely for him.

"It's intriguing to the eye and fun to play," said Funk, 53, who won eight times on the PGA Tour.