US OpenThe golfing gods have mocked Colin Montgomerie enough to last a lifetime, especially in majors. Yesterday, on a day at Winged Foot that started with grey clouds and spits of drizzle, but which later broke into clear skies that caused greens to crust under a glaring sun, the Scot avoided the pitfalls that have traditionally lured him in to a self-destruct mode.
This time Montgomerie, remained immune from the idiosyncrasies of the West Course. While many others struggled to contend with rough that devoured its victims and greens that caused hearts to race, with scores rocketing so high that they resembled barometer readings, the eight-time European Tour money winner, but a player devoid of a major championship, produced an opening round 69, one-under, that was like a flashback to days of yore.
"It'd be a fair achievement for him to win a US Open now, after not winning one when he was in his prime," remarked Padraig Harrington diplomatically. He knows, as does Monty, that this race has a long way to run.
As Montgomerie said: "My God, we've only walked seven miles, we've got 21 miles to walk yet. There's a long way to go. But it would probably mean more to me to win now, at 42, than it would have at 32."
During a practice round on Tuesday with Paul McGinley, Montgomerie actually hit 100 per cent of fairways. Yesterday, he hit only 64 per cent, and found only 61 per cent of greens in regulation. More often than not, whenever he missed a green, he scrambled wonderfully.
And his putter worked a dream, with no three putts and only 28 putts in total.
Crucially, too, when the wheels threatened to come off early on with two bogeys in three holes, at the first and third, Montgomerie regrouped to reach the turn in 36, one-over, and then found birdies at the 12th and 17th in an error-free run home.
So, is this the rebirth of Montgomerie? After all, he'd missed the cut in seven of his last 10 tournaments and seemed to be but a poor imitation of the player who once upon a time dominated the European Tour with an iron fist.
"I think the expectation levels were lower this year," Montgomerie explained of a more relaxed approach in majors. "It won't change me if I win here. It won't change my life, or whatever if I do well this week.
"But it might have done in the 1990s. There was more expectation and pressure on me then than there is now.
"I can go out and free-wheel if you like and not worry about things the way I used to do."
In many ways, Montgomerie's par saves were as crucial as his birdies. For example, his six-iron tee-shot to the 10th finished in a bunker. "To shortside oneself there is awful," said Monty.
But he splashed out to a foot. And, on the 13th, where he was again in a greenside bunker off the tee, his ball was on a downslope in the sand trap but he again save his par.
They were important shots in maintaining his momentum.
While Montgomerie could bask in a good day's work, the West Course stung others, most notably Tiger Woods who reached the turn in 40, five-over, and then double-bogeyed the par five 12th.
Woods, playing for the first time since the US Masters, showed obvious signs of rustiness and has an uphill task to survive the cut. He has never missed the cut in a major since turning professional in 1996.
Darren Clarke, meanwhile, was even par through 12 holes.
Phil Mickelson encountered none of Woods's woes. The current US PGA and US Masters champion, seeking to maintain his quest for a third successive major, opened with a level-par 70. Despite hitting only 45 per cent of greens in regulation, Mickelson scrambled magnificently and required only 27 putts - despite three-putting the par five fifth, where he was on to 20 feet in two.
"You're always going to feel like you left shots at a US Open because it is just so tough. But I was very pleased with even par, I'd have taken it at the start of the day," said Mickelson.
Padraig Harrington's opening round of 73 didn't best please him. "I got a little raggedy towards the end. It's a tough course, and it wore me down," he said.
The Dubliner incurred a double-bogey on the 15th, his sixth, where he drove into rough and then found more rough with his recovery. A 20-footer for birdie on the 17th left him on one-over going into the front nine, where he bogeyed both par threes, the third, where he put his tee-shot into a bunker, and the seventh, where he was fooled by a gust of wind as he hit his shot.
"I could have been a couple better," admitted Harrington, "but you're always going to miss the odd shot in a US Open. It's just that a couple of errors were due to poor concentration on my behalf."
Former champion Jim Furyk moved into contention with a level-par 70. "I hit some solid iron shots where I put the ball on the green for makable putts. And when I hit the fairway, I could hit a wedge relatively close to the pin or hit out of a greenside bunker relatively close to the pin.
"I didn't putt from real long distances today."
