French Open:Colin Montgomerie was back to his buoyant best at Le Golf National in the French Open yesterday with a 68 in the first round less than a fortnight after missing the cut in the US Open at Oakmont, where he signed for a second-round 82 on what he said was "one of the worst days of my career".
Yesterday the Scot also rediscovered the left-to-right swing shape that helped him to eight European order of merit titles. Indeed he was so relaxed after a round of five birdies and two bogeys that his first observation as he quenched his thirst from a familiar green bottle that was labelled June 23, 1863, concerned the date Monsieur Perrier set up the company. "One hundred years to the day before I was born," he mused.
Successive missed cuts in Austria and US had drawn talk of Montgomerie's best golf being behind him, but he said it had acted as a motivation. "The one way to shut everyone up is to win - it's the longest time in my career since I did that (December 2005). "If I can get back into the winner's enclosure before the British Open in three weeks' time it would be fantastic. There's no better way to start than with a 68 around here on a breezy, cold day."
His three-under round put him three shots behind James Kamte, who is seeking to emulate a fellow black South African, Vincent Tshabalala, the French Open champion in 1976, and shares the lead with the young Welshman Kyron Sullivan.
Sullivan, a 31-year-old from Cardiff, is in his first full season on the European circuit, having graduated from the "second division" Challenge Tour.
He stands 176th on the Order of Merit. Playing in the last group of the day, there were only three people in a stand designed for 300 when he completed one of only two bogey-free rounds.
He said: "A lot of guys from the Challenge Tour are thinking about making the cut, but you have to put that out of your mind and try to get into contention."
Kamte was pushed by his caddie into attempting the 36-hole qualifying event earlier this month and he is already grateful.
"It's one of those things you dream about," said the 24-year-old, who became known as "The Cobra" for his deadly finishing in his soccer-playing days.
"I think 80 per cent of people I knew were very surprised when I switched sports. They thought I could be big in soccer."
He will also be thanking Ernie Els if he goes on to win. "Ernie did everything for us with his foundation for under-privileged kids," added Kamte. "He flew us around, paid for our accommodation, gave us pocket money, gave us clubs. We were absolutely spoilt and they had to drag me out."
Despite taking a double bogey six at the 18th, Damien McGrane, is best of the Irish.
Out in 33 with birdies at the second, third and fifth, McGrane added three more on the way home, at the 11th, 13th and 14th, but they were cancelled out by a bogey at the 12th and the two dropped shots at the last.
Paul McGinley also finished poorly, dropping shots at the 17th and 18th in a two-under-par 69, the same mark as Peter Lawrie, who had halves of 34 and 35. Gary Murphy is on 70, Graeme McDowell 71 and Philip Walton 89.
