Monty leads as big guns struggle

Colin Montgomerie produced his best golf in the US Open for almost a decade to take the first-round lead at Winged Foot.

Montgomerie was the only player in the entire 156-strong field to break par - and did so in the tougher morning conditions – to earn a one-shot lead over Ryder Cup team-mates David Howell and Miguel Angel Jimenez and American trio Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker.

After 14 holes Howell was four under par and three shots clear of the field, but he dropped four shots in the last four holes, including three-putting the 18th for a double bogey six.

Tiger Woods fared even worse on his return to competition after a nine-week lay-off following the death of his father, the world number one struggling to a six-over 76.

And Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia crashed to rounds of 78 as a testing breeze, thick rough and undulating greens took their toll.

Montgomerie had looked like another potential victim when he stood over a 10ft par putt on the fifth to avoid falling three-over, but he holed that and played the remaining 13 holes in three-under.

The 42-year-old Scot finished third in this event in 1992, lost a play-off in 1994 and was second again in 1997, but has failed to make an impact since.

An inward nine of 43 in Sunday’s final round of the Austrian Open was hardly the ideal preparation either, but he remained optimistic about his prospects, and how right he was.

“I’m delighted, 69 is a good score under any circumstances but especially when I was two-over after three,” said Montgomerie, who revealed he had played so well on Tuesday that he did not bother with a practice round on Wednesday.

“It was very difficult, the greens are drying out and it’s difficult to get the ball close to the hole with a 15mph wind.

“The expectations on me to win this in the 1990s were very high and I got close a couple of times. The expectations have been lower the last few years and it does make a difference, you are more relaxed.

“It would not change my life if I did well here this week but it might have done in the 90s. It’s nice I can go out there and freewheel and not worry about things.

“I am more relaxed now. I probably wanted it a little too much before. But it would mean as much, probably more, to do it at 42 years old than 32.”

Montgomerie has played 57 majors without a victory, but finished second to Tiger Woods at St Andrews last year and added: “It was nice to contend with Tiger on a course that was built for him 200 years before he was born!

“It was good for me to feel that I could still compete at that level because it had been a few years where I hadn’t, so it gave me confidence to come back here and compete again.”

Howell had also got off to a slow start with bogeys at the first and fourth but six birdies in the next 10 holes gave him a golden chance to put distance between himself and the field.

“This course can bite you at any time,” said the 30-year-old European number one, who was a combined 23 over par for his previous three rounds in the US Open.

“I was delighted to get to four-under and I hope I see it again but that was probably the easiest this course is going to play so it’s very frustrating.

“Once I’ve calmed down I will realise I have shot level par in the US Open and I’m one off the lead but right now I’m really frustrated and fed up.”

On his tournament debut at Bethpage in 2002, Howell shot rounds of 78 and 81 to finish 144th out of 156 starters.

Last year he carded an opening 74 at Pinehurst before being forced to withdraw with an abdominal injury suffered on the range.

However, since returning from that injury Howell has played like a man possessed, winning his first European Tour title for six years in Munich, then outscoring playing partner Woods on the final day to win the inaugural HSBC Champions Tournament in Shanghai.

He also defeated Mickelson on his way to the quarter-finals of the Accenture World Match Play earlier this year, and finished 19th in the US Masters – to follow his 11th on debut at Augusta last year – before cruising to a five-stroke victory in the BMW Championship at Wentworth.

Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell matched Montgomerie’s inward half of 33 to card a 71, a score matched by England’s Kenneth Ferrie on his US Open debut.

“When I made the turn at three over I was pretty disappointed,” said McDowell. “But this is the ultimate test of golf and I will come out at the end of the week a better golfer.

“Who cares what happens? This is just the best set up in golf and you learn so much in these weeks. I am excited about the way I am playing.”

Irish Open winner Thomas Bjorn and debutant Phillip Archer carded a 72, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke rounds of 73 and Ian Poulter and Paul McGinley were round in 74.

Paul Casey, nursing a hand injury suffered when he stabbed himself with a pencil, carded a 77 while world number 11 Luke Donald and former Walker Cup team-mate Nick Dougherty both slumped to rounds of 78, eight over.

Oliver Wilson struggled to an 80 and Graeme Storm returned an 81.