Late slips ruin Monty's round

Colin Montgomerie and Sergio Garcia both endured desperate finishes in the first round of the USPGA Championship in Minnesota.

Montgomerie bogeyed the last two holes for a two over par 74 and Garcia, runner-up to Tiger Woods three years ago, dropped three shots in the last three for a 75.

It left them trailing well behind early pacesetter Jim Furyk, whose four under 68 looked a stiff target for the rest of the field as a testing wind replaced the morning storms.

Justin Rose was among those chasing Furyk hard, however. In his first-ever major in America the 22-year-old from Hampshire rolled in a 12-foot putt on the 17th to join Peter Lonard in second place on three under.

He was certainly enjoying the day more than another debutant, Surrey's Paul Casey. Last season's European tour Rookie of the Year was lying last after a nightmare 13 over par 85.

Play had been delayed was nearly three hours because of the threat of lightning on the same Hazeltine National course where a fan was killed during the 1991 United States Open.

The star group of Woods, Open champion Ernie Els and defending champion David Toms had each hit just one shot when the suspension came at 8.38am.

On their return Els and Woods moved quickly to two under, but Woods had to make do with a one-under 71. Els bogeyed the last for a 72.

Montgomerie thinned a chip at the short 17th and then left another 20 feet short on the last and after racing his putt six feet past did well to make the return and drop only one more shot.

"I'm not very happy about that," said the 39-year-old Scot, who in the Open at Muirfield last month had dumb-founded everybody by following a course record 64 with a third-round 84.

"I had just one birdie (at the 18th, his ninth) and that's not enough. I had lots of chances."

Garcia was going nicely at one under with seven to play, but a double bogey at the 402-yard 16th was a huge setback.

One further back alongside Rose were twice US Open Lee Janzen, former winner Vijay Singh and and Fred Funk.