By contrast, world number one Rory McIlroy tossed his club during a round of 74 that leaves him in danger of missing the cut for a second tournament in a row.
First round leaderboard
GBIre unles stated
-6 D Drysdale
-6 Peter Lawrie
-5 J Rose
-5 J Donaldson
-5 A Quiros (Spa)
-5 R S Johnson (Swe)
-5 N Fasth (Swe)
Click here for collated scores.
Scot Drysdale, 290 places below McIlroy in the rankings, could not believe his luck as his second shot to the final hole went into the water and bounced out again.
The journeyman made the up-and-down to finish with a six-under-par 66 to join Irishman Lawrie at the top of the leaderboard.
"You could hit 1,000 balls and never have it happen," said the 37-year-old. "I don't know what it hit - maybe a fish. It was a massive break. I don't think I can say what I would have thought if I had taken six or seven there."
McIlroy's show of frustration, which could result in a European Tour fine, came as he ran up a six on the long 12th.
It was the last of four bogeys in five holes and a double bogey at the 16th was to follow.
Etiquette
"I don't know what it hit - maybe a fish. It was a massive break."
David Drysdale Quotes of the week
Tournament director David Garland said in a statement: "I have not yet had the chance to view the incident, but I will be requesting a tape.
"If any breach of the Tour's guidelines on course etiquette is found, then appropriate action will be taken in due course.
"But any decision is unlikely to be taken until after the tournament has finished."
McIlroy crashed out early from the Players Championship in Florida two weeks ago and might need a four-stroke improvement to survive this time.
If the 23-year-old does fail to make it through to the weekend Luke Donald will need 'only' a top-eight finish to go back to number one, but he is aiming much higher than that after a 68.
He bogeyed the ninth and 10th like McIlroy, but had already had four birdies and two more were to come in the last three holes.
The two pacesetters are both outside the game's top 200, former Spanish Open champion Lawrie currently standing 212th.
Nervous
He was also the joint leader on the first day in 2006, however, and today he did not waste a blistering start in which he eagled the fourth and birdied the second, fifth and sixth.
The Dubliner said: "I played so well in practice that I was kind of very nervous starting out.
"I missed a couple coming in, but 66 can't be snoozed at. The course is set up great for me - I'm not one of the longest hitters on tour, but one of the straightest.
"You have to be very patient and I'm quite a patient person. My wife wouldn't believe that, but I am on the course!"
The pair are a shot clear of five players including Justin Rose, who feared he might have to pull out before the start because of vertigo-symptoms.
"An hour before my tee time I thought, 'I can't play'," Rose said. "I was nearly falling over and was sitting in the doctor's chair for a while.
"He gave me an anti-nausea or something and did a good job getting me ready. I felt fine all the way round."
A massive group of 13 carded 68, England's Robert Rock and Italian Francesco Molinari among others joining Donald on four under par.
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