Colin Montgomerie rallies after rocky start as Stephen Dodd shares lead

Published on Thursday 17 March 2011 16:25

Colin Montgomerie launched a spirited fightback in the first round of the Sicilian Open yesterday after fearing his title tilt would be scuppered by a calamitous start.

The former European Ryder Cup skipper posted a battling two-under 69 at the Donnafugata course to finish four shots behind joint-leaders Stephen Dodd of Wales and Spain's Jose Manuel Lara, who both fired 65s.

Montgomerie, aiming for a first tour win since 2007, swiftly found himself on the back foot when he slumped to bogey-5s at the first and second.

However, the eight-time European No 1 kick-started his rally with a 30-footer for birdie on eight as he repaired the early damage to lead the 11-strong Scottish challenge.

"It was a terrible start but I have to be happy with myself for the way I battled back," said Montgomerie, who also made gains at the 12th, 13th and 16th. "The way things were going after the opening two holes, it could so easily have been a 76 in a hurry. But to cover the last 16 holes in four-under is very pleasing and it gives me something to work on."

Stephen Gallacher, the top Scot on the Race to Dubai at No 26, opened his campaign with a level-par 71 but admitted his game was still feeling the effects of a severe buffeting from the wind in the pre-championship Pro-Am on Wednesday.

"The wind really knocked my rhythm a bit and it showed today," he said. "But I feel I've got three sub-70 rounds in me this week and hopefully this is the bad one out of the way."

Glasgow rookie Scott Jamieson spilled two shots on the 18th for a 71 while Marc Warren birdied two of his last three holes in a 72 to finish alongside Alastair Forsyth and Paul Lawrie.

Lloyd Saltman and Gary Orr had 73s with Peter Whiteford and George Murray both on 74 and Steven O'Hara back on a 75.

This is the first time the European Tour has visited Sicily and the Donnafugata Golf Resort and it was Dodd and Lara who acclimatised quickest to the course.

Cardiff-born Dodd was happy with his overall game and said: "I did a lot of good things out there today. I kept in play most of the time, hit some good iron shots and I putted well which is always a key for any good round."

Dodd's round included six birdies and an impressive eagle at the par-5 16th, but two bogeys restricted his final score as he aims for his first win on the European Tour since winning the European Open in 2006, when Lara finished joint-second.

Lara's round started rather unimpressively as he hit a double bogey on the fourth, but nine birdies over the course put him level with Dodd.The the 33-year-old admitted to finding himself in a difficult position leading to the double bogey.

"It was a strange one, I basically got a flier from the rough and the ball just went so far - straight behind a tree and I couldn't do anything from there," he said.

l Hazelhead's David Law will face South Africa's Graham Van Der Merwe in today's Northern Amateur Open Championship final in South Africa. Law, the leading qualifier at Randpark, continued his fine form with 2 and 1 victories in both his matches yesterday.