Ferrie in fine form

Kenneth Ferrie led the British challenge in the US Open – but Luke Donald’s bid for victory already looked doomed to failure.

Ferrie was one under par after 15 holes of his opening round, sharing the lead with 2003 champion Jim Furyk, Sweden’s Peter Hedblom and unknown American Jason Dufner.

In contrast Donald was six over par for nine holes after a double bogey, five bogeys and just one birdie on the back nine of Winged Foot’s West Course.

The world number 11 even putted off the green on the 18th after leaving his approach above the hole on the severely undulating putting surface, and did well to salvage a bogey with a pitch to two feet from 25 yards back down the fairway.

That left the Ryder Cup star down in a share of 63rd place out of the 78 players on the course, and he was not alone in being made to look foolish by the tight fairways and thick rough.

Former USPGA champion David Toms was also six over despite two birdies in his last three holes, while Zimbabwe’s Nick Price was seven over after matching Toms’ outward nine of 42.

At the other end of the leaderboard, Ferrie had been up among the leaders all day on his debut in a major championship in America.

In the second match out from the 10th tee at 7.11am local time, the 27-year-old from Ashington carded three birdies and two bogeys in an outward nine of 34, and after holing from 20ft for par on the second, recovered from a bogey on the fourth to pitch to two feet for birdie on the fifth.

Colin Montgomerie had made a sluggish start with two dropped shots in his opening three holes, but birdied the sixth and ninth – the latter after a superb approach to four feet – to lie one over par.

Also one over was Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, who hit back from a double-bogey six on the 15th to hole from 40ft for birdie on the 17th.

Warrington’s Phillip Archer was also acquitting himself well on his major championship debut, two birdies in his last five holes leaving the 34-year-old at two over with three to play.

Graeme McDowell, Paul McGinley and Ian Poulter were all three over par while Nick Dougherty three-putted the opening hole and carded a number of other bogeys to slump to six over.

Phil Mickelson, seeking his third straight major victory, was drawing massive support from the galleries and a huge roar greeted a curling 20ft birdie putt on the 18th which took him back to level par.

However, the left-hander then looked on in disbelief as his par putt on the second caught the hole and did a complete horseshoe before staying out, the bogey dropping him back to one over.