Open Championship: Sir Nick Faldo marks his 60th birthday with a practice round at Royal Birkdale

Faldo is not competing at Royal Birkdale, but the three-time winner gained permission from tournament organisers the R&A to partner defending champion Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose in a match against Ernie Els and Louis Oosthuizen.

Stenson and Rose were due to play nine holes each alongside Faldo, whose victory at Muirfield in 1992 remains the last by an Englishman.

After posing for photographs  Faldo ran down the fairway with the Claret Jug hidden under his shirt, before stopping for pictures to be taken with members of his family.

The six-time major winner made his Open debut at Birkdale in 1976 and squandered a chance to win at the same venue in 1983, which prompted him to radically change his swing to cope under the pressure of major championships.

"That Open in 1983 was amazing for me," he said. "I began the event double bogey, double bogey and still shot 68, which has to be the best unknown 68 of my entire career.

"Then with nine holes to play I blew up and it wasn't long afterwards in a post-tournament briefing that I came to the conclusion that I needed to rebuild my swing to become a better golfer, one that could win the Open.

"My last victory in 1992 was the most draining. That was the one where I frittered away a four-shot lead and I looked at the leaderboard on the 14th green and was two back.

"I was blowing it in fine style and I would have been badly scarred if I'd lost that. I said to myself, 'You better play the best four holes of your career to rescue this' and I just about did."

Els pulled out of the practice round as a precaution to rest a tight back so Faldo "had a quiet nine with the defending champion (Stenson) and another quiet nine with a possible champion (Rose)".

He added: "Rosey looks good. You have to be smart off the tee and if it stays dry it's 'linksy' and the ball will run a mile so you have to be careful."

On his first tee shenanigans Faldo said: "Why not? I'm 60 today so it's my day.

"I thought about this a while ago and it has been on the cards for six weeks or so.

"Matthew (his son) was on the bag and Fanny (Sunesson, Faldo's former caddie) was here as she was 50 nine days ago so she's part of the party tonight.

"We're having a posh afternoon tea and champers and then we've got a knees up with a band and surprises and my daughter is in charge of the 'leaping around' music.

"I have a feeling I'll get dragged into a lot."