Monty 'delighted' with return to form

Colin Montgomerie’s confidence is on the rise again and he demonstrated as much with two fine birdies in the middle and at the end of his opening round of the BA-CA Austrian Open.

The Scot twice found himself in trouble on par fives – the 18th and the ninth at the Fontana Golf Club just outside Vienna – but recovered superbly to get up and down to finish with a four-under-par 67.

That was two shots off the lead set by Colombian Jorge Benedetti but represented a satisfying morning for the 42-year-old Ryder Cup star.

“That is five scores in the 60s in a row now – which is a delight,” said the eight-time Order of Merit winner, who finished fourth last week in the Celtic Manor Wales Open.

“There were five scores in the late 70s a month ago.”

Montgomerie did enjoy some good fortune for both of those birdies but he also produced superb recovery shots to give himself the opportunity.

His second to the 18th was pulled into the grandstand and so he was able to go to the drop zone from where he executed an exquisite chip to two-and-a-half feet.

At the 528-yard ninth his approach found a nursery of small trees and again he was able to gain relief from where he was able to get up and down for birdie.

In all he carded five birdies and only one bogey – three-putting the par-four 13th – to earn a share of the lead with, among others, fellow Scot Alastair Forsyth.

However, the 30-year-old Glasgow golfer could have been higher had he not made an error at the 18th.

Forsyth stood on the tee at five under – one clear of the field – but drove into the lake which runs the length of the horseshoe-shaped hole.

He produced a superb pin-high approach to within 30 feet of the flag but his putt was for par not eagle and when it did not drop he fell back to four under.

Forsyth had gone to the turn in three under after four birdies and a bogey at the seventh but he picked up further strokes at the 10th and 11th to reach five under and parred his way home until his watery finish.

Playing partner Gregory Bourdy, of France, also finished four under and the group were joined by Irishman David Higgins whose eagle at the par-five 15th lifted him up the leaderboard.

Ireland’s Paul McGinley, playing with Montgomerie, finished with a level-par 71 as he too birdied the ninth to make up for dropping shots at the 18th, fifth and eighth.

His other birdies came at the 15th and short sixth, where he hit his tee shot inside 10 feet.

Benedetti started inauspiciously with a bogey but then carded seven birdies in 13 holes, which included a stretch of four in a row from the second.