San Francisco, California
18th - 21st June
Par 70 Prize Money $3.0 million

Montgomerie is happy with level par round

The Olympic Club, San Francisco, 18th June 1998 - Colin Montgomerie happily signed for an even-par 70 in Thursday's opening round of the U.S. Open golf championship after safely navigating through some "scary" pin placements at the testing Olympic Club Lake Course.

Montgomerie, who has twice come within a shot of winning the U.S. championship, balanced three birdies against three bogeys to stand four shots behind early clubhouse leader Payne Stewart, the 1991 champion.

"I'm very happy to be at level par," said the big Briton, who has long maintained that the U.S. Open is the major that best suits his game. "The winning score will be somewhere between level par and five under. You can't win it today, only lose it."

Montgomerie said the U.S. Golf Association, by the way it orders the course prepared and the pins postioned, can control the scoring range.

"Some pin positions out there are at the limit," said Montgomerie, the European Tour's leading money winner the last five years in a row. "There are some pin positions that are scary.

"It's incredible the way they (USGA) can limit the scoring."

Far from a rant, Montgomerie gave his critique with a degree of admiration.

The 34-year-old Briton, still chasing his first major title, said: "I'm not saying it's unfair. I enjoy this tournament. I just couldn't believe they put the pins in some places that they did."

Montgomerie began to list the most devilish placements. "11 and 17," he said. "And 9 and 7. I could go on and on."

The Briton said he was looking forward to round two and the next battle with the course, the elements and the USGA strategists.

"I'm as happy here as Tiger Woods is at the Masters," he said.