The ball just carried through a bush and finished a foot behind a tree. Any amateur golfer seeing the position would automatically have just chipped back onto the fairway, fearing both damage to the club and injury to himself.

But Montgomerie, trying for a fourth victory in the event in five years, was having none of it.

He turned to caddie Andy Prodger – the man he is getting rid of after this week – and said: “How much do shafts cost?”

That had the crowd laughing, but then the Scot told them: “Seriously now, stand well back and watch the club, not the ball on this one. It could go anywhere.”

After deliberating between a three-iron and a five-wood, knowing whichever one he went for would be broken a few seconds later, he chose the latter and, sure enough, the head came off and went flying some 50 yards as he played the daring shot.

Then the fans looked to see where the ball was – and the answer was over 200 yards just short of the green.

“Let’s get one thing clear here – I didn’t do that in anger,” he said as he walked down the fairway with a smile on his face, relieved that both the shot came off and he had not hurt himself.

Before chipping and putting to save a wondrous par, Montgomerie called for a referee, who happened to be Royal and Ancient Club rules chief David Rickman. He took the shaft and clubhead off either for repair or to be replaced.

The Ryder Cup star was obviously keen to have it back as quickly as possibly, but in the meantime played on with only 13 clubs in his bag.

Up ahead Ian Woosnam, penalised two shots in the 2001 Open for having an illegal 15th club in his bag, birdied the short second and went joint second at five under.

And just behind world number two Ernie Els birdied the first and improved to four under.

Clarke was among the later starters, as were Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee and South African James Kingston, who shared second place overnight with Scot Alastair Forsyth – himself off at 9.15am.