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Journalism of Courage
BETHESDA, June 13: Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie fired a stunning five-under par 65 here yesterday, grabbing a three-stroke lead midway through the opening round of the 97th US Open Golf Championship.
Montgomerie took a key step toward winning the first major championship of his career by mastering Congressional ‘s par-70, 7,213-yard layout.
Australia’s Greg Norman, thought to be a contender for having won twice here in PGA Tour events, was in danger of missing the cut at consecutive majors for the first time in his career after an opening 75.
Montgomerie, European golf’s Order of Merit champion the past four years, opened with six pars before he birdied the par-three seventh. He then began a streak of three consecutive birdies on the par-five ninth.
Montgomerie, who won last week’s European Grand Prix in England, birdied the par-four 13th to reach five-under par and move four strokes clear of the field.
The stocky 33-year-old was inches left on a 15-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole but curled home a five-foot birdie putt on the 16th. A bogey on the 17th trimmed his lead.
Standing second at two-under par were US players Jeff Sluman, Hal Sutton and Peter Teravainen.
Masters champion Tiger Woods lipped out a six-foot birdie putt on the first hole but answered with a birdie on the second. He finished the day four-over.
Norman soared off the pace with bogeys on every even numbered hole through the first 10 and another on the 13th and managed his only birdie of the day with a 12-footer at the 17th.
