Harrington and Monty share early lead

Padraig Harrington and Colin Montgomerie took a share of the early lead while defending champion Tiger Woods lagged behind at the United States Open today.

Woods, bidding for his third win in four years, was one over par after nine holes at Olympia Fields near Chicago and to that point was coming off second best in his duel with world number two Ernie Els, who turned in a one under 33.

But the pace was being set at two under and while it was perhaps no surprise to see Harrington there after his good recent run Montgomerie must have been delighted after missing his last two halfway cuts in Europe.

Birdies at the 12th and 13th – like Woods and Els he began on the back nine - lifted the Scot alongside not only his Ryder Cup team-mate, but also Canadian Ian Leggatt and Americans Jonathan Byrd, Tom Gillis and Loren Roberts.

Harrington had failed to birdie the 576-yard first, one of only two par fives on the course, but picked up shots at the 400-yard second and 440-yard fifth on an overcast morning.

Woods parred his first eight holes, but with the group having been put on the clock by European tour chief referee John Paramor he paid the price for a slack drive down the 460-yard 18th.

It found the edge of a bunker and from a difficult stance he tugged his second left into thick rough and failed to get up and down, missing from 12 feet.

Els, winner in 1994 and 1997 and the reigning Open champion, found fairway bunkers with his opening two tee shots and hit only four greens in regulation on the inward nine, but his short game saved him.

After twice visiting the rough at the 18th his four-footer for par was only his 12th putt of the round. Woods had already had 17.

Justin Rose began his first appearance by driving into the punishing rough, but although he still parred the first it was not encouraging and a six on the 555-yard sixth dropped him alongside Woods on one over.