US TOUR: After having to play second fiddle to their foreign colleagues last weekend, the US golfers were shaping to hit back in the first round of the BellSouth Classic at Sugarloaf, Georgia, yesterday. The tournament is the final warm-up to the first major of the season, The Masters at Augusta.

Former champion Phil Mickelson, who desperately needs the reassurance of victory after taking a disastrous five putts in the recent Sawgrass event, was tied (after 13 holes) for the leadership with compatriots Dudley Hart and Steve Elkington, Thomas Bjorn and Frank Nobilo on six under par.

The long course and wide fairways give big hitters a definite edge which suited Mickelson whose recent form hardly warranted him starting favourite.

Just behind the leaders was Scott McCarron who was five under par (after 14 holes). He is certainly one to figure prominently over the weekend even if he has choked on three prime winning opportunities this spring.

However, his overall game is sound and he is playing on a course where he won in 1997 with a pulled hamstring and again last year where he romped clear despite slicing the top of a finger.

Tied with him on five under was Jesper Parnevik and Canadian Mike Weir. Colin Montgomerie, who has endured a lean time of late, was nicely placed on three under after a solid round of 69.

Padraig Harrington was having a steady round after starting on the back nine and he was two under par through 12.

Fiji's Vijay Singh, coming off his first victory in two years at the Houston Open, was tied 23rd on three under and doing his Masters preparations the world of good.