Golf: Monty in contention in Singapore Masters

Colin Montgomerie fired a five-under-par 66 to lie three shots off the lead after the first round of the Caltex Singapore Masters.

Ireland's Padraig Harrington and England's Warren Bennett shared the lead, both carding eight-under-par 63s to head the field by one.

Anthony Wall, Vijay Singh, Maarten Lafeber and Frankie Minoza were all on seven under - with left-hander Richard Green another shot adrift.

Montgomerie looked set to threaten the top of the leaderboard after a blistering start with three birdies in his opening four holes.

But the 37-year-old Scot was becalmed by a string of 10 consecutive pars and after an eagle three on the 15th he missed a good chance to birdie the par-five 18th after a poor three-iron approach missed the green.

"It was a great start but then it just stopped," said the former European number one, who won the Australian Masters in Melbourne last week.

"But I didn't drop a shot again, and that's important.

"I was a bit unfortunate on the last. I hit a bad second shot but a good putt that just didn't go in.

"I wasn't chipping and putting to save par. I had a lot of birdie chances, but the putts just did not go in. The greens are difficult to read; the grass grows in the afternoon, and the grain is tricky.

"I've got a good early start in the morning, so I hope it will be a little cooler. It would be difficult not to be!"