Allenby has problems in Paris

Robert Allenby, who deserved a medal for his level-par 70 at the US Open on Sunday, did not cope quite so well with Le Golf National near Paris when the French Open began today.

The Australian, the only player not to shoot over par in the final round at Shinnecock Hills, ran up a double-bogey seven at his fifth hole.

Allenby had birdied the 13th, his fourth, but the seven sent him back to one over and he trailed early leaders Brian Davis, Ian Poulter, Mark Roe and Martin Erlandsson by three.

He was not alone in quickly running into difficulty on a course where the rough was truly ferocious.

Thomas Levet, who missed the halfway cut in America last week, had an eight on the 585-yard 14th, while former Ryder Cup player Peter Baker bogeyed the first, quadruple-bogeyed the short seventh and then had another seven on the long third.

That added up to seven over for three holes for the Englishman.

Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer, returning after eight weeks out with a wrist problem, made up for an opening bogey with a birdie on the short 11th, but then bogeyed the next three.

Davis, hoping to make his cup debut in September and ninth in the race for places, was hoping to impress playing partner Langer just in case he needs a wild card.

The Londoner, another to miss the cut at the US Open, birdied the 13th and 14th, while in the group ahead Poulter, currently in the 10th and last automatic spot, picked up shots at the 13th and 15th.

Roe, winner of the title 10 years ago but best remembered now for his Open championship disqualification last year for forgetting to exchange scorecards with Jesper Parnevik, opened with a bogey on the front nine but then had three birdies in four holes from the third.

Colin Montgomerie, rumoured to have lost nine balls during his pro-am round yesterday, was among the later starters.