R1 LEADERBOARD -8 Eddie Lee (after 17 holes) (NZ) -5 Peter Fowler (Aus), Thomas Levet (Fra) -4 Yuan-Chi Chen (Tai), Kyi Hla Han (Myn), Gregory Hanrahan (US), Jong-Duk Kim (Kor), James Kingston (SA), Peter Lawrie (Ire), Wen-Tang Lin (Tai), Arjun Singh (Ind), Thammanoon Srirot (after 9 holes) (Tha) Full clubhouse scores

The Scot also missed a short birdie putt at his 17th to card a mediocre 71.

Montgomerie needs a top-three finish to book his place at next week's Players Championship and next month's Masters.

Australia's Peter Fowler and Thomas Levet of France share the clubhouse lead on five under, but Kiwi Eddie Lee is on eight under with a hole to play.

Lee had been on three under through 10 holes when a thunderstorm halted play for two-and-a-half hours in the co-sanctioned event.

He returned to birdie his 11th and 13th holes, then holed from the bunker for an eagle at his 16th before a birdie at the next moved him to eight under.

Poor light then forced officials to call a halt to play, leaving Lee and 56 other players to complete their rounds on Friday.

With a ranking in the world's top 50 required for entry to the TPC, the so-called "fifth major", Montgomerie can ill afford the sloppy approach play that caused his five at the par-four 9th, his last.

I made one mistake all day, I do that too often these days and don't make enough birdies Colin Montgomerie

After missing a 10ft birdie putt on his 17th, the 40-year-old pulled his tee shot on the last into the rough.

With an awkward stance and a hanging lie, the Ryder Cup stalwart could only hit his approach into a greenside bunker and failed to get up and down to record his only bogey of the day.

"I'm just disappointed to bogey the last," said Montgomerie. "It was a simple bunker shot and a poor bunker shot.

"I made one mistake all day, I do that too often these days and don't make enough birdies."

Ireland's Peter Lawrie, European Tour rookie of the year in 2003, was among a 10-strong group on four under, alongside South African James Kingston, who was seven under but found water on his penultimate hole and ran up a triple-bogey six.