Monty suffers slow start

Colin Montgomerie was today battling back from a disappointing start to his first round of the Linde German Masters.

Montgomerie arrived in Cologne with new caddie Colin Cotter, his third this year, after parting company with Steve Rawlinson following another disappointing performance in the Lancome Trophy on Sunday.

The Scot was also persisting with the new putter he tried in the final round in Paris, reverting to a standard sized club after playing most of the year with the long ‘belly’ putter.

The 40-year-old is desperate to maintain his record of finishing in the top 10 on the Order of Merit every year since 1991 and winning at least one event every year since 1993.

He is currently 20th on the money list however, some €329,000 behind Retief Goosen in 10th, and down to 32nd in the world rankings, the lowest since he joined at number 36 in 1991.

And it looked as if he was in for another frustrating day after struggling to drop just one shot on the opening hole.

Starting on the 10th, Montgomerie fired straight at the pin cut dangerously close to the front of the green and came up just short, his ball rolling back down a steep slope into a grass bunker.

From there he failed to get on the green at the first attempt and after chipping four feet past, did well to salvage a bogey five.

The hole was cut in a similarly tough position on the next as well but this time Montgomerie played a fine shot to within 15 feet of the hole, but narrowly missed his birdie putt.

It was the same story on the 12th as well but a superb second shot to the par-five 13th, finishing just 15 feet from the pin, set up a first birdie and took Montgomerie back to level par.

That was three behind playing partner Fredrik Jacobson however, the Swede holing from six feet on the 10th, 35 feet on the 12th and then getting up and down from short of the 13th for his third birdie in four holes.

Jacobson shared the early lead with South African Charl Schwartzel and Australian Jarrod Moseley on three under, with tournament favourites Darren Clarke and Retief Goosen alongside Montgomerie on level par.