Golf: Riley on rampage at Woburn

Australian Wayne Riley was the surprise name at the top of the leaderboard as the Victor Chandler British Masters got underway at Woburn.

Riley, who has missed the halfway cut in his last five tournaments and is 155th on this season's Order of Merit, reached the turned in five under par 31 at the halfway point in his first round.

While favourite Colin Montgomerie managed only a two over 38 for the inward half, Riley kicked off with three birdies and, after a bogey at the fourth, eagled the 538-yard seventh and birdied the next.

Ranked at 125/1 for the £208,330 first prize, the 38-year-old has not hit the headlines since February - and wishes he had not then.

Riley was fined heavily by the Australasian tour for drunkenness and abusiveness on a flight from Johannesburg to Perth, with the chief purser calling him the "most violent, ugliest, most rude human being on the earth".

The incident was blamed on his fear of flying and when being disciplined he was told to seek treatment for his problem.

At five under Riley, a former Australian and Scottish Open champion, was one ahead of Frenchman Thomas Levet and two clear of Swindon's David Howell and Midlander John Bickerton.

Montgomerie had spoken in glowing terms of the new Marquess course before the £1.25m event, but after a birdie at the long 11th - his second -the world number seven hit his second shot into water on the next and ran up a double bogey six.

Three putts on the next green did not help Montgomerie's mood, but he did start the front nine with two birdies to improve to level par, one better than Darren Clarke.

The Ulsterman was one under after six, but bogeyed the 16th and then took three from the edge of the 18th - and was so furious after leaving a 10-foot par attempt short that he went to whack the ball off the green before getting a grip of himself.

Oldcorn, £333,330 richer for his Wentworth heroics and in sights of a Ryder Cup debut, was partnering Montgomerie and could feel well content with his early work.

The Edinburgh golfer, who has hardly stopped taking messages of congratulation since his win, birdied both par fives on the back nine and his only mistake was a bogey at the short 14th.

Lee Westwood, who made a late decision to play, was among the later starters.

Eamonn Darcy is two under after 10 holes.