Europeans struggle in the heat

The heat and humidity of Atlanta's summer caught up to several of Europe's top players Thursday, wearing them down and wearing on their chances to win the 83rd PGA Championship this week.

Scotland's Andrew Coltart, 13th in the European Ryder Cup standings and desperate for a good finish here, would have been right in the huge pack on four under but for three-putting the 17th.

"It's difficult to try to keep your concentration for five hours in the heat and humidity," he said after posting his 3-under 67. "It's tough - you have to take a little time out now and again."

Lee Westwood and Ian Woosnam could not afford to do that after receiving slow play warnings as they opened with 71s, the same as Colin Montgomerie.

Woosnam blamed rushing on double-bogeying the first, his 10th, while Westwood blamed caddie Martin Gray for his seven at the long 12th.

"I let him talk me into going for the green - I want my head chopped off," he said.

One of Montgomerie's shots received a shout of "get into the water," but his unhappiness afterward focused on the fact he had 33 putts rather than any problems with the crowd.

Ireland's Padraig Harrington, having holed a 176-yard 6-iron for an eagle two at the second, crashed to a quadruple bogey nine on the 547-yard 12th and finished with a 5-over 75.

First, he hit a 5-wood that kicked back into the water off the bank short of the flag. Then from the drop zone he hit two wedges back into the lake.

Darren Clarke matched Westwood's seven on the hole as he took 73, but Paul McGinley and Phil Price were happier after returning 2-under 68s.

It could have been better for McGinley, though. He was sharing the top spot at four under until he drove in the rough at the 16th and then hit his tee shot into water on the 207-yard nxt.

He bogeyed the first of those and did well to drop only one more stroke on the next, pitching from the drop zone to eight feet and making the putt.

"I would have taken 68 before the start," said McGinley, who had been in the first group off at 7:30 a.m. and finished his day's work just as the conditions were becoming oppressive.

Paul Lawrie, who lost to McGinley in a playoff at the Celtic Manor Wales Open on Sunday, had a 69. England's Ian Poulter, on his debut in a major in America, birdied two of the first three, but fell back to 73 like Gary Orr and Clarke.

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