Golf English Open

Colin Montgomerie fired his lowest round of the year - and then made another plea for tougher courses on the European Tour. An eight-under-par 64 gave Montgomerie a one-stroke, first- round lead yesterday over Frenchman Nicolas Joakimides in the English Open at Hanbury Manor, near Hertford, and had him itching for the start of the US Open in two weeks.

''This is fantastic,'' said the Scot, referring not to his score but to the way the course had been set up. ''I really wish that we were punished for a bad shot more often. It's wonderful that time, effort, and money have been spent here on getting it in such great condition.

''This is perfect preparation for the US Open. Ideal. You should get rewarded for hitting the ball straight off the tee - we'd all be better players for playing courses of this strictness.''

Lee Westwood did not agree with Montgomerie's assessment, however, after a 68. Westwood, out in 38 and home in 30 with four birdies and then a No.5 iron to eight feet for eagle on the seventeenth, said: ''If you're going to grow rough, you've got to grow it everywhere. They've only fed just off the fairways, which I am not very impressed with.''

What sparked Montgomerie off was that he did not set off hitting it straight. His opening drive was pulled a touch but he had trouble finding the ball and could only hack it back onto the fairway.

''From then on I thought, 'This is great' because I knew it was playing into my hands,'' he added.

Things continued to go well for Montgomerie off the course. A panel of golf writers met to decide the golfer of the month for May and gave it to Europe's order of merit winner for the last five seasons for his victory in the Volvo PGA Championship a fortnight ago.

Montgomerie could go back to the top of the money list on Sunday - this only his sixth Tour event of the year. Like Westwood, Darren Clarke, Thomas Bjorn, and Patrik Sjoland have a chance to go to No.1 as well. Sjoland matched Westwood's 68 but Clarke bogeyed the last two holes for a 72 and Bjorn had a 73. Leading scores (British and Irish unless stated):

64 - C Montgomerie.

65 - N Joakimides (France).

66 - N Vanhootegem (Belgium), S Leaney (Australia), J Robson.

67 - A Coltart, R Allenby (Australia).

68 - M A Jimenez (Spain), D Cooper, D Robertson, R Wessels (S Africa), P Sjoland (Sweden), L Westwood, W Riley (Australia), C Watts.

69 - P Baker, P Eales, R Muntz (Holland), R Rafferty, J Rivero (Spain), R Jacquelin (France), V Phillips.

70 - I Garbutt, P Mitchell, J Van de Velde (France), G Evans, S Richardson, F Tarnaud (France), C Suneson (Spain), M Farry (France), J Remesy (France), T Gogele (Germany), O Karlsson (Sweden), D Lynn, S Alker (New Zealand), G Chalmers (Australia), I Garrido (Spain), J Townsend (USA).

71 - R Chapman, D Tapping, C Hainline (USA), C Rocca (Italy), H Clark, R Claydon, C O'Connor Jr, D Borrego (Spain), E Darcy, M Long (New Zealand), S Grappasonni (Italy), A Beal, M Davis, B May (USA), K Storgaard (Denmark), J Singh (India), M Reale (Italy), M Campbell (New Zealand), T Gillis (USA).

72 - G Owen, D Cole (Australia), HP Thuel (Germany), D Gilford, G Brand Jnr, M Mouland, K Brink (Sweden), M Roe, S Webster, D Smyth, A Sherborne, G Nicklaus (USA), M Hallberg (Sweden), P Fulke (Sweden), F Henge (Sweden), D Clarke, M Florioli (Italy), M Jonzon (Sweden), R Boxall.

Other scores included:

73 - A Hunter, T Bjorn (Denmark).

74 - R Russell, R Drummond, S Torrance.

75 - P Lawrie, G Orr.

76 - G Hutcheon.

79 - S Henderson, A Oldcorn.

q DAVID Downie (Brunston Castle) won #100 for leading the 37 qualifiers for the Sunderland of Scotland Masters tournament at Cawder from June 17 to 19. He shot a six-under-par 64 in the pre-qualifying event. Leading qualifiers:

64 - D Downie (Brunston Castle). 65 - H Lee (Downfield). 66 - A Forsyth (Ralston). 67 - T Cole (King James VI), D Drysdale (Dunbar). 68 - C Elliot (unattached), I Seath (Liberton), S Kerr (Renfrew), J McCreadie (Buchanan Castle), S Stevenson (Torrance House). 69 - G McFarlane (Cochrane Castle), P Wytrazek (Burntisland), A Soutar (Aberdour).

q LEADING qualifiers at the MasterCard East Lothian Classic:

138 - L James (East Dorset) 71, 67; N Cheetham (Robin Hood) 71, 67; G Houston (Carden Park) 69, 69. 139 - B Rimmer (Trentham Park) 69, 70. 140 - J Knight (Stanford Springs) 76, 64. 141 - D Downie (Brunston Castle) 72, 69; J Greaves (Glasgow Gailes) 71; 70;, C Hislop (Eden) 71, 70. 142 - P Streeter (Belton Woods) 72, 70; C Gillies (West Lothian) 73, 69; P Wesselingh (Hawkstone Park) 73, 69; N Roderick (Clyne) 73, 69; J Cook (Leamington) 70, 72; S MacPherson (Felixstowe Ferry) 74, 68; C Duke (Porters Park) 71 71. 143 - J Hepworth (unattached) 70, 73; J Wright (Harpenden Common) 68, 75; I Ball (Longcliffe) 71, 72; A Tait (Clober) 71, 72. 144 - J Hodgson (Tytherington) 70, 74; S Hurd (Horsforth) 72, 72; P Fenton (Huddersfield) 78, 66; N Preston (Prestbury) 72, 72; S Kerr (Renfrew) 72, 72; R Bland (Stoneham) 69, 75; A Twist (Ilkley) 73, 71.