Friday 22 May 2015 15:40, UK
Colin Montgomerie has made a strong start to the defence of his Senior PGA Championship title in Indiana.
The 51-year-old opened with a level par 72 at French Lick, good enough for a share of second spot behind surprise early pacesetter Massy Kuramoto of Japan.
In a remarkably steady round, Monty carded 16 pars, while off-setting a bogey at the eighth with a birdie four holes later.
"This is one difficult golf course and I am thrilled to get out of here at level par," said the Scot. "It was very, very cold this morning and I lost my circulation about the eighth hole.
"I couldn't feel the putter head properly through the hands. Awful conditions on a very difficult golf course, a golf course where you've got to drive the ball properly.
"The pins are in major positions for a Thursday. These are Sunday placings here, so it's very difficult to score, to get the ball close. And if you do get it close, to hole out."
Also tied with the Scot are American duo Billy Andrade and Bart Bryant, Frenchman Jean-Francois Remesy and Englishman Barry Lane.
The top 20, in this senior major, are separated by just two strokes, including Bernhard Langer who opened with a 73.
Kuramoto, 59, who has won 30 tournaments on the Japan Golf Tour, fired three birdies and two bogeys on a cold, wet and windy day.
