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| | Thursday, 23 May, 2002, 17:12 GMT 18:12 UK Montgomerie three ahead at Wentworth Montgomerie is chasing his fourth PGA title Colin Montgomerie carded a blistering eight-under-par 64 to lead the Volvo PGA Championship by three shots after round one at Wentworth. Montgomerie, fresh from his battle with Tiger Woods in Germany, defied his ongoing back injury to shoot his best ever opening score on the West Course. Fellow Scot Andrew Coltart, Zimbabwe's Mark McNulty, Dane Steen Tinning and Argentine Eduardo Romero - well after most people had gone home - all carded rounds of 67. One shot further back was a group which included defending champion Andrew Oldcorn and Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal. Montgomerie is chasing his fourth PGA title after winning three in a row from 1998-2000. He came into the tournament after narrowly losing to Woods in a play-off at the Deutsche Bank Open. He also tied for third at the B&H International at The Belfry two weeks ago.
The Scot made the most of an early start in calmer conditions on his home course to reach halfway in 34. But the fireworks started when he turned for home. From the 10th he went birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie to romp to seven under. The eagle at 12 came via a 40-yard pitch from the rough to the far right of the green which rolled in for a three. A bogey at the par-four 15th arrested Montgomerie's charge but only temporarily as he birdied the two closing par fives. Montgomerie was planning an evening of specialist back treatment before more massage early on Friday morning and two hours of stretching before his second round.
But he vowed he would be fit to complete the tournament. "I'll make it, even if I have to crawl through," he said. "I want to get back to the position of strength I had in Europe. "I'm in pain but it's amazing how holing putts can get you round. "But I feel the back all the time and I'm playing within myself. "I need three months off to get fit but I don't have the opportunity to do that. "But I'm not doing myself any harm, I'm just hurting myself." Meanwhile, Oldcorn and Olazabal, playing together in the afternoon, defied blustery conditions to join a group on 68. Sweden's Robert Karlsson eagled the long 17th to also climb to four under. Meanwhile, Lee Westwood finished with a two-under-par 70, Nick Faldo took 71 alongside European number one Retief Goosen. | |
See also:  23 May 02 | Golf 20 May 02 | Golf 20 May 02 | Golf Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top Golf stories now: Links to more Golf stories are at the foot of the page. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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