Ireland's Padraig Harrington trails the leading duo of Tom Gillis and fellow European tour veteran Colin Montgomerie by one shot following ten holes in the US Open first round at Olympia fields today.
Harrington got off to a perfect start with birdies on two and five before bogeying the ninth to turn on one under. He was immediately back in touch however when he shot a three on the par four tenth.
Birdies at the 12th and 13th for Montgomerie - who began on the back nine - lifted the Scotsman alongside not only his Ryder Cup team-mate, but also Canadian Ian Leggatt and Americans Jonathan Byrd, Tom Gillis and Loren Roberts.
A further birdie on the first saw him take the lead before Gillis, who also started on the back nine, shot under par on the fifth to join Montgomerie at the top of the leaderboard.
Tiger Woods, bidding for his third win in four years, was one over par after nine holes at Olympia Fields near Chicago and to that point was coming off second best in his duel with world number two Ernie Els, who turned in a one under 33.
Woods parred his first eight holes, but with the group having been put on the clock by European tour chief referee John Paramor he paid the price for a slack drive down the 460-yard 18th.
It found the edge of a bunker and from a difficult stance he tugged his second left into thick rough and failed to get up and down, missing from 12 feet.
Els, winner in 1994 and 1997 and the reigning Open champion, found fairway bunkers with his opening two tee shots and hit only four greens in regulation on the inward nine, but his short game saved him.
After twice visiting the rough at the 18th his four-footer for par was only his 12th putt of the round. Woods had already had 17.
Justin Rose began his first appearance by driving into the punishing rough, but although he still parred the first it was not encouraging and a six on the 555-yard sixth dropped him alongside Woods on one over.