The 42-year-old Australian, who was disappointed with a rare missed cut at the US Open last week, rolled in a long birdie putt at the last hole for an 8-under first round that also included a double bogey at the 17th.

He was threatening to break 60 when he stood on the fairway at the par-4 17th hole with a 140-metre shot over water to the flag, cut on the front of the green.

But his short iron shot came up short in the penalty area and he walked away with a six.

“I don’t really have the answer for you,” he said of the moment. “I can only speculate. The wind was just moving around a little bit the last few holes between kind of east and northeast and north and no wind, and felt like there was none really when I was hitting.“But it came up well short, so maybe got caught in something, because the next shot the same club went 15 yards further. So, yeah, I really don’t know. It’s a shame, but it’s hard to be disappointed with 62.”

Scott made five birdies in a front-nine 31 and then five on the trot from the 11th to the 15th, a short par-4 where he drove the green and had a realistic eagle chance.

“I think if I made eagle on 15 it (sub-60) was really right on,” he said. “I didn’t really. I was just trying to just keep doing what I was doing out there. It was all going really nicely and I wasn’t thinking too much about anything today.”

Scott ended up tied-second, two shots back from Denny McCarthy of the United States who shaved the hole with a pitch at the last for an eagle that would have given him a 59.

It was a good day for the Australians at TPC River Highlands in the $US20 million tournament, with Cam Davis (65) also in the top 10, and Min Woo Lee (66) taking advantage of his late call-up to the field.

PHOTO: Adam Scott ponders during his 11-birdie first round. Image: Getty