Duval,Woods & Daly off to great starts

David Duval, recovering from burns to a thumb and finger, made an appropriately hot start to the US Open.

The world number one kept a bogey off his card as he shot a three under par 67 at Pinehurst in North Carolina.

The score was good enough for a share of the clubhouse lead as the first round, which began in rain, drew to its conclusion in evening sunshine.

Playing partner Phil Mickelson, whose wife is due to give birth in two weeks and says he will quit the tournament if the daughter comes early, matched Duval's effort, as did their fellow Americans Paul Goydos and Billy Mayfair.

Controversial John Daly, winner of the Open and US PGA in his career already, had a chance to go one better, but just missed a birdie putt on the short 17th and clattered into the trees on the last for a bogey five and 68.

Tiger Woods is on the same mark. He finished with two birdies - just as Colin Montgomerie did. But in the Scot's case it was for a two over par 72.

That still put him ahead of Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke (both 73), Nick Faldo (74), Peter Baker and Sam Torrance (75s, the same as Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal), but Welshman Phil Price marked his debut in the event with a one over 71 to lead the British challenge.

Duval, with his finger and thumb still taped up after the incident with a teapot last Friday, birdied the second, 15th and 17th and said: "There's still some tenderness in my finger, but nothing bad.

"I had no expectations when I started. I just knew I was playing well enough to get under par."

Montgomerie holed from 10 feet at the 17th and 20 feet on the last to make up for bogeys at the two par fives which he described as "crazy."

"It was miserable on the front nine - the weather is a lot better in Scotland," he said. "But that was a very important finish and it will make dinner taste better.

"I'd four-putted three times up to that point, but now I'm looking forward to tomorrow's round. I can't see myself making the same errors.

"I still think that level par won't be far away at the end of the week. It's not easy at all - this course can come up and grab you at any time."

Westwood had only 27 putts, but that merely saved him from a total nightmare.

"I couldn't have been much worse tee to green," said the 26-year-old from Worksop. "You can't expect to shoot better than 73 when you give yourself only two chances under 20 feet all day.

"If I knew what it was I would go and fix it. I'm either blocking it right or turning it left. It's the same fault I've had for 10 years."

Asked about the problems of partnering top attraction Woods, Westwood replied: "The spectators were fine - it was the people inside the ropes who were the problem.

"The photographers thought there was only one person in the threeball. They were all pretty ignorant and never in position when Corey Pavin and I were playing."

Faldo's poor form continued as he bogeyed three of the last five holes. He declined to speak to reporters afterwards, but Price was only too happy to stop and chat.

"For my first US Open it's nice to make a solid start," he said. "I'm a bit annoyed at bogeying the 18th (he drove into the rough), but I'll calm down.

"I certainly would have taken that before the start - and after snap-hooking my first three drives.

"This is a tough course and some guys are going to shoot huge numbers."

Olazabal had double bogeys at both the 482-yard par four fifth and the 446-yard last, where he came up short, fluffed a chip (normally the strongest part of his game) and three-putted.

"I've made it tough for myself," admitted the Spanish star. "I hit the ball all over the place and there's no way you can score doing that.

"Five over is pretty bad - it's not the start anybody wants."

It is 29 years since Tony Jacklin was the last European winner of the title and none of the 16 attempting to end that barren spell could break par.

Best were German Sven Struver, Swede Mathias Gronberg (like Price on their debuts) and Dane Thomas Bjorn with level par rounds of 70.

Two weeks ago Daly six-putted the final green for a 10 at the Memorial Tournament, but he was off to a real flyer this time with three straight birdies and despite the closing bogey he was delighted.

The recovering alcoholic has been seeing sports psychologist Bob Rotella and said: "He has loosened me up and told me to have fun on the course and just hit the driver if I see that as the shot.

"I've not been able to do that in a lot of tournaments and it's been a struggle, but I can here. This course (lacking the usual US Open rough) is a big plus for me. It will be fun tomorrow."

Mickelson insists he will have no hesitation if the bleeper he is carrying with him all week goes off to tell him his wife has gone into labour.

"Absolutely," he said. "If something were to happen I'm only five hours away from getting there to be with her. I don't want to miss it for anything.

"It's an exciting time, but I'm not finding it difficult to focus on the course. It's important to separate things that are going on in your private life."

Another American, Rocco Mediate, came to the last sharing the lead, but double-bogeyed it and had to settle for a 69.