Irish well-placed in Austria

Ireland’s David Higgins is in a great position after the first round of the BA-CA Austrian Open today after a four-under-par opening round of 67 left him just two shots off the lead.

Gary Murphy is also well-placed, tied for 13th after a respectable 68.

The lead is enjoyed local favourite, Austrian Markus Brier on six under par. He gave the home crowds plenty to cheer after holing his seven-iron tee shot at the 158-yard 11th to win a new Citroen car.

He now lies one ahead of the chasing group of Jorge Benedetti and Sven Stuver, as well as England’s Oliver Whiteley and Simon Dyson, who all carded 66s.

A bullish Colin Montgomerie finished well after twice finding himself in trouble on par fives – the 18th and the ninth, to card a 67.

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 – a sure sign of his growing confidence.

The Scot has been through a mini-slump in the last couple of months but fourth place last week at the Celtic Manor Wales Open lifted his spirits.

And the fact he knows the Fontana course just outside Vienna very well, being an ambassador for the club, only boosted his confidence coming into the tournament.

Even an early bogey – when he three-putted the 13th, his fourth hole of the day – could not shake him and he responded with five birdies to earn a share of sixth place.

“There is a great chance for me to win now. Hopefully I can take it,” said the 42-year-old Ryder Cup star who won a record eighth Order of Merit title last year.

“That proves I am getting back into things and I am determined to do so as I had a poor March and April.

“Let’s hope I have an Indian summer like I did last year.”

The Scot explained: “It was a good finish. On the seventh I hit a good three iron [for birdie] and then got up and down at eight for par.

“I got up and down at the last and that was a nasty spot. When I walked up to it I saw a white line and I thought I had hit it out of bounds but it was ground under repair.”

Montgomerie said he felt the way the course was set up – Thomas Bjorn likened the greens to Augusta and said iron play wouldbe crucial – played into his hands.

“Everybody now drives the ball a lot straighter than people think so we are all in the same boat there,” he said.

“But the second shot is all about distance control and distance control is my strength – and that is important around here and obviously next week in America (at the US Open).

“And if I don’t win here I will still go to the US with a lot more confidence then I had two or three months ago.”

Dyson had four birdies on his front nine of 32 – spoiled only by a dropped shot at the 377-yard fifth – but he was blemish-free coming home and picked up further shots at the 15th and 16th.

“I found a lot of fairways, some of my iron play was good and I managed to hole a few putts today,” said the 28-year-old golfer, who won his maiden European Tour title at the Indonesia Open in March.

“It is feeling good at the minute. There is no reason why I can’t keep putting scores together like I am doing.

“I would like to win another one. I felt how good it was to win the first one and I just need to keep playing as consistently as I am.”

Fellow Yorkshireman Whiteley began with a bogey at his opening hole, the 10th, but turned things around with three birdies before the turn and another three afterwards.

“It was a poor start,” admitted the 28-year-old, who has made just three cuts this season – the last back in March in Madeira.

“I’ve had a bad few weeks so I wasn’t expecting a great deal but then I just holed a few putts which made the difference.

“Having 34 a round is not very good for you so it was nice to have a little fewer than that.”