Colin Montgomerie's hopes of mounting a USPGA challenge were effectively ended after a tough first round at Baltusrol. He shot a seven-over 77 but refused to blame the finger injury that had nearly ruled him out of the event.
"I didn't have any timing from the word go," the 42-year-old Scot said. "You can't hit it the right distance if you are not timing it."
Darren Clarke will also be unhappy with his 73, while Padraig Harrington was almost as bad as Montgomerie with a 76.
British duo Nick Dougherty, who shot a 73, and Stephen Dodd, a 74, were others to find the going tough on their USPGA debuts.
"I didn't play well," said Dougherty, while Dodd, who has not played a major in America since he was British Amateur champion over 15 years ago, said: "I've not played well for six or seven weeks and am not enjoying it at the moment.
 |  A 67 tomorrow and I can get back into things |
"It's just hard. It's always easier when you are playing well." Brian Davis will have it all to do on Friday if he is to repeat his fine performance at Whistling Straits last year.
The US-based Englishman finished 13th at the 2004 USPGA but will need to make a marked improvement on his opening 74 at Baltusrol.
And Scotland's Stephen Gallacher, another injury doubt coming into the event, will wonder why he bothered after his first round of 79.
The only consolation he can take is that he did manage to birdie the 650-yard 17th and he did no worse overall than 2002 champion Rich Beem.
Montgomerie was one under after five but then dropped nine shots in 10 holes.
Having teed off at the 10th, his round started to unravel when he double-bogeyed the 16th and 18th holes to reach the turn in 40.
Four more bogeys followed in the next six holes before he steadied the ship with a par-birdie-par finish.
"But a 67 tomorrow and I can get back into things. I normally have good rhythm, but never mind," he said.
"I've not played much since the Open - only a few competitive holes - and it's one of those things.
"If it does not work tomorrow I'll try again next week. That's the beauty of this game."
Montgomerie, who injured three fingers in his right hand at Gleneagles last week, had been hoping to boost his chances of winning an eighth European Order of Merit title.
Having finished runner-up to Tiger Woods at St Andrews, he currently trails US Open champion Michael Campbell by about �100,000 and had been optimistic of a good showing in the year's final major.
MMIX
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