EVEN by the fluctuating fortunes experienced in golf, it takes some doing to play so badly on one continent on Sunday and so well on another four days later. After Colin Montgomerie took 43 strokes on his inward nine in the last round of the Austrian Open near Vienna on Sunday, few would have predicted the dramatic change in fortune that came the Scot’s way in the first round of the US Open at Winged Foot Golf Club yesterday.

At lunchtime, Montgomerie stood over a five-foot putt on the 18th green. Had he sunk it, he would have gone round in 68, two under par, at the time two strokes better than anyone else. As it was, he hit the ball tentatively and it veered away from the hole, so he had to content himself with a 69.

This gave him the lead by one stroke from a group including Jim Furyk, the 2003 US Open champion, Phil Mickelson, the US PGA and Masters champion, who is attempting to win his third major championship in a row, David Howell, who was four under par on the 15th tee but who squandered four strokes on the last four holes, and Miguel Ángel Jiménez.

Many competitors in the second major championship of the year found themselves manhandled by this composite course. Phil Tataurangi had the day’s highest total, an 86, but few were more bruised than Tiger Woods, who, playing his first competitive round since April 9, may have wished that he had begun his competitive comeback one week earlier after the death of his father.

Woods struggled to judge the pace of greens that were perceptibly slower than at most US Opens and was wild off the tee. His 76 equalled his worst round in a US Open and if he took a positive thought with him to the practice ground last night it was that he had covered his last six holes in one under par.

There seemed no proper explanation for Montgomerie’s improved form, though he had played well in practice on Tuesday. Indeed, for his first nine holes there was little sign of this newfound form. Having been two over par after three holes, he holed bravely for a par on the 5th and birdied the 9th, a 514-yard par four. But a homeward half of 33, two under par, was the stuff of dreams, a reminder of how good Montgomerie once was and that he was involved in a play -off for this championship in 1994 and came second to Ernie Els three years later.

One key was his good putting, another his distance control. A third was that he was almost always playing from the fairway. Watching him bring all these strengths to bear on such a difficult course, one found it hard to remember that this was the man who played four rounds in only three of his first ten tournaments of the year.

“The greens are drying out considerably and it’s difficult to get the ball close to the hole,” Montgomerie said. “The greens are very tricky and the fairways are narrow. Add all that together, and a 15mph wind gusting, and you could say it is difficult. But my swing has always been about rhythm and I’ve got that back now.”

Graeme McDowell and Kenneth Ferrie went round in 71, as did Vijay Singh, the winner of the Barclays Classic in nearby Harrison, New York, on Sunday, and Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion.

“This is the ultimate test of golf,” McDowell said. “It is the toughest set-up in all golf. I will have learnt so much by the end of this week I shall be a better golfer for it.” McDowell’s enthusiasm was matched by Phillip Archer, who is having the month to end all months. Nearly recording the first sub-60 on the European tour at Celtic Manor two weeks ago was the start of it. Then he qualified for the US Open, his first major championship, and yesterday he recorded a 72.

The morning was overcast and it perfectly matched the sombre mood of the players. At major championships, sounds normally come at you from all points of the compass, but here for several hours it was silence as players grappled with a course that was proving difficult for all and too difficult for some. Nick Dougherty and Luke Donald had 78s. Donald putted off the 18th green and moments later Trevor Immelman, a playing partner, did the same.

EARLY LEADERS



(Great Britain and Ireland unless stated)

69: C Montgomerie. 70: J Furyk (US), P Mickelson (US), S Stricker (US), M Á Jiménez (Sp), D Howell. 71: K Ferrie, G McDowell, V Singh (Fiji), M Weir (Can), J Cook (US), F Funk (US), K Stadler (US), G Ogilvy (Aus). 72: A Scott (Aus), W Mayfair (US), T Bjorn (Den), P Archer, P Hedblom (Swe), C Barlow (US), J Dufner (US), W Austin (US), S Hend (Aus), S Appleby (Aus), S Ames (Can), B Bryant (US), B Van Pelt (US). 73: K Jones (US), R Allenby (Aus), F Couples (US), Z Johnson (US), P Harrington, R Pampling (Aus), J M Singh (India), Mark Hensby (Aus), D Clarke, T Herron, S Kendall (US). 74: I Poulter, Á Cabrera (Arg), R Sabbatini (Arg), P McGinley, R Beem (US), J Sluman (US), A Morse (US), J B Holmes (US), C Villegas (Col), S Jones (US), E Els (SA), C Schwartzel (SA), Taylor Wood (US). Other scores: 75: J M Olazábal (Sp), M Campbell (NZ). 76: D Love III (US), T Woods (US). 77: D Duval (US), R Goosen (SA), P Casey. 78: N Dougherty, L Donald, S García (Sp). 80: O Wilson. 81: G Storm