FirstRoundScores

Marcus Prior

in Cape Town

Colin Montgomerie is so desperate to put a miserable 2003 behind him that there is almost nothing he has not changed in search of a remedy.

Yesterday he used a new set of clubs, a new ball, new shoes, a new caddie and a chopped-down model of his old belly putter, and he returned a four-under-par 68 to stand four shots off the first-round lead in the South African Open at Erinvale.

The Scot was outshone by Australia's Brett Rumford, who made the most of breathless early conditions to match the course record with a bogey-free, eight-under 64.

Rumford, who rose at 4.45 a.m. to make the first tee-time of the day, leads by one shot from Wales's Stephen Dodd.

Steve Webster of England is tied with the South Africans Hennie Otto and Hendrik Buhrmann a further stroke back at six under par.

It was an undistinguished day for the four Irish competitors, including recent addition Mark McNulty. The former Zimbabwean joined Paul McGinley on four-over-par 76, while Ciaran McMonagle fared even worse with a 77.

Only Peter Lawrie, with a one-under 71 for tied 31st place, could be content with his opening effort.

Monty had arrived with a vow to regain a position in the world's top 10 and secure a place on this year's Ryder Cup team. After five birdies and one bogey he was unrepentant about breaking one of the great taboos of professional golf.

"People say you shouldn't change more than one thing, but after a disappointing year I decided to change almost everything," he said. "There's 14 clubs' difference for a start. It does feel a bit like starting again, but I've had to. The last three or four years haven't worked out and I intend to get it going this year.

"I struggled a bit on the front nine. I was a little bit anxious and was just feeling my way. Then I relaxed on the back nine and it puts me in a good position for tomorrow."

Trevor Immelman, the defending champion, and Lee Westwood were paired and both shot 71s in the more testing afternoon conditions, when the wind blew up off the Indian Ocean.

"First round of the year I expected to be rusty and I felt exactly how I expected to feel," Westwood said. "I played all right.

"I'm working on a couple of things which feel a bit uncomfortable and I hit a couple of bad shots because of it. I got away with one but I didn't get away with much."

Rumford, who teed off in the first group at 6.30 a.m., had four consecutive birdies between the third and the sixth - his 12th-16th.

"I putted extremely well today," he said, "but perhaps my key holes were my 10th and 11th (the first and second) where I holed par putts from 10 and six feet which kept my momentum going."

It was an ideal start for the Australian who decided to play in the event only at the suggestion of caddie Ian McGregor, who persuaded him to come over and see South Africa.

"This is my first time in South Africa. My caddie is from Zimbabwe so he suggested I come and play and see the place."

South African Trevor Fisher endured the most bizarre round of the day, finally carding a 12-over-par 84.

His round included an eagle, birdie, eagle stretch between the third an fifth holes, but was blemished by a quintuple bogey at the par-five seventh and a triple bogey at the par-four 17th.

Guardian Service

(Rsa unless stated, Irish in bold)

64 - B Rumford (Aus). 65 - S Dodd (Wal). 66 - H Otto, S Webster (Eng), H Buhrmann. 67 - N van Rensburg, S Scahill (Nzl). 68 - C Montgomerie (Sco), A Mitchell, MA Jimenez (Spa), M Siem (Ger), A Forsyth (Sco), T Auret, R Jacquelin (Fra). 69 - D Botes, P Baker (Eng), G Muller, J Moseley (Aus), M Vibe-Hastrup (Den), D Fichardt, C Lile. 70 - S Struver (Ger), T Dodds (Nam), JM Lara (Spa), J Kingston, K Ferrie (Eng), M Bothma, M Maritz, S Norris, A Hansen (Den), M Turncliff (Eng), J Carriles (Spa), S Wakefield (Eng). 71 - S Hansen (Den), J Hugo, J-F Remesy (Fra), D Pappas, G Havret (Fra), D Howell (Eng), A Coltart (Sco), M Cayeux (Zim), R Reid, M Brier (Aut), T Dier (Ger), M Kirk, J Spence (Eng), C Williams (Eng), M du Toit, A Kruger, M Lafeber (Ned), L Westwood (Eng), T Immelmann, I Poulter (Eng), D Frost, P Lawrie (Irl), T Moore, C Rodiles (Spa). 72 - M Foster (Eng), B Lincoln, A Roestoff, G Levenson, R Rock (Eng), A Butterfield (Eng), C Whitelaw, S van Vuuren, S Fernandez (Arg), W Geyer, S Dunlap (US), S Gallacher (Sco), P Golding (Eng), R Chapman (Eng), P Lawrie (Sco), J Haeggman (Swe), S Farrell (Zim), B Hlope, D Fourie. 73 - A da Silva (Bra), A Marshall (Eng), J Rose (Eng), D Park (Wal), J Edfors (Swe), A McLardy, B Dredge (Wal), I Hutchings, B Kennedy (Aus), N Colsaerts (Bel), A Cruse, J Lomas (Eng), C Gane (Eng). 74 - T Simon, S Dummond (Sco), M Fraser (Aus), I Pyman (Eng), A McLean (Sco), K Eriksson (Swe), J Walters, D Carter (Eng), B Vaughn (US), D McGuigan (Sco), D Terblanche, M Lamb (Zim). 75 - B Vaughn, M Mouland (Wal), A Henning, L Oosthuizen, E Canonica (Ita), D Ryan, R Wessels, N Lawrence, S Hurd (Eng), N Henning, N Dougherty (Eng), R Russell (Sco), E Marugi, P Dwyer (Eng). 76 - M McNulty (Irl), RJ Derksen (Ned), R Tapping (x), B Liddle, R Karlsson (Swe), P McGinley (Irl), M Murless, D Lynn (Eng), W Westner, U van der Berg. 77 - VGroenewald, G Veenstra (x), M Erlandsson (Swe), C McMonagle (Irl), M Blackeley (Eng), C Schwartzel, T Johnstone (Zim). 78 - C Swart, J Clement (Sui), P Karmis (x). 79 - R Loubser (x), R Sterne, J Bele, K Horne, O Sandys, R Muntz (Ned), S Basson. 80 - W Abery, J Hobday, A Haig (x), L Ndwandwe, S Ludgater, F Delamontagne (Fra). 81 - D van Staden, M Kent (x), F Sikolobo, C Sands (Eng). 83 - M Olander (Swe), L Atkinson (Eng). 84 - T Fisher Jnr. 86 - T Mordt (x)