By Rob Hodgetts BBC Sport at Hoylake

Can Garcia push on to win the Open after his first-round 68

Seven years. Seven long years and no European major victory.

Europe's golfers have won two Ryder Cups in that time and packed more players into the world's top 50 than ever. But win a big one? No.

No-one seems to know why, and the players are asked about it every 15 minutes.

But there is a groundswell of opinion that says this week's Open at Hoylake can finally consign Paul Lawrie's 1999 Carnoustie win to another chapter in history.

There's a long way to go before we'll know, but an early search for clues, based on body language and crowd reaction, yielded some interesting finds.

If the fans collectively had their way, Colin Montgomerie would clinch his maiden major, after five second places.

The eight-time European number one enjoyed the biggest of the early galleries at Hoylake and the first dedicated following, despite going out after some of Europe's hottest young guns in Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and David Howell.

Montgomerie, second last year and with his US Open disaster still fresh in fans' minds, received chorus after chorus of "C'mon Monty" to which he mouthed thank-yous, nodded and let slip the odd wink.

The 43-year-old even gave the impression of enjoying his role in the circus that surrounded playing partner John Daly, the big-hitting, free-living 1995 Open champion.

When the sweat-soaked American unleashed a trademark drive and began sweet-talking the ball ("C'mon baby"), the crowd responded with hoots and hollers, and the Scot was unable to stifle a grin.

Montgomerie has a lot of hard work ahead after his first round of 73

Montgomerie moves with the momentum of a man on a mission when fortunes favour him. And he yearns for the inspiration to cap a marvellous career with a major victory.

After round one, however, he finds himself with plenty of hard work ahead after carding a one-over par 73 to stand seven shots off the lead.

But if Montgomerie is the man they want to win, Darren Clarke would be a popular runner-up.

The Ulsterman, who shot a three-under-par 69, has plenty of supporters in these parts, and with wife Heather battling cancer, his first major could not come at a better time.

The third European on the crowd's order of merit was neither hot tip Donald or his in-form fellow Englishmen Casey or Howell. All three went about their business in hushed tones before the momentum of the day built up.

Westwood was encouraged, while Harrington had his admirers and Garcia, that effervescent, ever-moving bundle of Spanish energy, was also popular.

But the other player treated to the crowd's early love was the 49-year-old Seve Ballesteros.

The Spanish five-time major winner is playing his first Open since 2001 following a series of injuries and devastating loss of form.

The three-time Open champion says he is playing at Hoylake to help 15-year-old son Baldomero, his caddie for the week and a promising player, learn about links golf.

But unlike his playing partner Ian Poulter, resplendent in glittering Union Jack T-shirt with sequinned Claret Jugs on red trousers, Ballesteros needed no adornment. His aura is his image and vice versa.

Greg Owen is well in contention after a five-under 67

The local public, remembering his Open wins at nearby Royal Lytham in 1979 and 1988, implored the struggling legend to emerge with his head held high.

The gum-chewing, sunglass-wearing, swaggering Poulter, meanwhile, may walk round to an accompaniment of wolf whistles, but he is happy in his outlandish costumes and thrives on the attention.

The Englishman says he can be a serious contender and walks like a man who believes it.

World number nine Garcia, though, was the pick of Europe's leading lights with a solid 68.

But it was lesser-known Englishman Greg Owen, hailing from Mansfield but based mostly in the USA, and Londoner Anthony Wall, playing in his second Open at the age of 31, who set the early pace with rounds of 67 before Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell topped the lot with his 66.

We may yet be headed for another European major winner, but it may not come from the expected source.