MAMARONECK, New York, 16 June 2006 — Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie seized the early first-round lead at the US Open yesterday, wresting a one-under 69 from the unforgiving Winged Foot West course.
Masters champion Phil Mickelson and 2003 US Open champion Jim Furyk were in the clubhouse on even-par 70, with world No. 3 Vijay Singh of Fiji, US Open newcomer Kenneth Ferrie of England, Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell and former Masters champion Mike Weir of Canada a further shot back on 71.
Montgomerie rebounded from two bogeys in his first three holes and made several key par saves — including two from bunkers at 10 and 13 — to become the only early starter in red numbers.
“It’s got to be difficult when you get the world’s best 158 players and there’s only one guy under par finished,” Montgomerie said.
Out on the course, world number one Tiger Woods was off to a tough start, opening with three straight bogeys.
Woods was playing in a group with defending champion Michael Campbell of New Zealand, who safely parred the first three holes.
Montgomerie missed a five-foot birdie try at 18 that would have seen him finish two-under.
But the 42-year-old Scot, who posted the second of his two runner-up finishes in the US Open in 1997, said he was pleased just to have given himself a birdie opportunity there.
“I felt very confident on the 18th tee. That’s a very narrow fairway, going the wrong way for me. I hit a nine-iron into five feet and made an awful putt,” he said.
But he said a few years ago, the pressure of leading might have prevented him even parring such a hole.
“I think possibly a few years back I wouldn’t have made par at the last, let alone have chance for birdie, knowing I had the lead,” he said.
Furyk missed a chance to finish one-under with a bogey at the last.
Mickelson, who started on the 10th tee, was soon one-over after a bogey at the 640-yard, par-five 12th.
Mickelson’s strategic approach at 12 didn’t pay off. After he laid up, his third shot found a bunker. He blasted out and two-putted for bogey.
Mickelson finally got back to even par with a birdie at the par-four 18th, where he drained a difficult 30-footer.
After narrowly missing a par putt at the second hole, Mickelson again got back to even with a birdie at the 162-yard, par-three seventh. And he was unhappy not to have picked up another stroke at the par-five fifth.
“I wasn’t pleased with making five,” he said. “I hit a perfect drive off the tee, hit a good seven-iron to about 50 feet behind the pin and didn’t hit a good first putt,” he said.
“Downhill putts you don’t want to give it too much energy. I left it about eight feet short and missed it. But that stuff is going to happen on these greens.”
Fiji’s Singh, who gained momentum heading into the tournament with a victory on Sunday in a US PGA tour stop at Harrison, New York, moved to one-under with a massive birdie putt at 15, but dropped back with back-to-back-bogeys at 16 and 17.
“I made probably the longest I’ve ever made in my life, then gave it right back,” Singh said.
“But 71 is a good score. I don’t think there’s going to be many under par this afternoon.”
Along with Woods, who is playing for the first time since he finished tied for third in the Masters and for the first time since his father, Earl, died on May 3, the later starters included a brace of two-time champions from South Africa, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.
Els has been inconsistent since returning from knee surgery last year, while Goosen, winner of the title in 2001 and 2004, led after 54 holes at Pinehurst last year only to shoot a final-round 81.
