• Open de France, Round One

Monty boosts Open hopes in Paris

Colin Montgomerie is currently languishing at No. 302 in the world rankings © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Morrison left to rue late blunders
  
• Profile: Martin Kaymer | Edoardo Molinari | Colin Montgomerie

Leaderboard

On the first day of the Open de France, Colin Montgomerie gave himself a fighting chance of picking up the top-five finish he needs to secure a place at next month's Open Championship.

World No. 302 Montgomerie has arrested his slump in recent weeks, finishing seventh at the PGA Championship and 18th at last week's BMW International Open, where he closed with rounds of 68 and 69.

At Le Golf National, the venue for the 2018 Ryder Cup, the Scot fired a level-par 71 to leave him six shots away from clubhouse leaders Richard Green and Graeme Storm.

Despite struggling for length on the tee - averaging a shade over 250 yards - on what is a formidably long course, Montgomerie managed four birdies, but he also succumbed to four bogeys as his putter let him down under pressure.

Green and Storm enjoy a one-shot lead over three men, as George Coetzee, Thorbjorn Olesen and James Morrison carded five-under par rounds of 66 to start the tournament in fine fashion.

A number of players are grouped at three-under, with Matteo Manassero the most threatening of the bunch. The Italian looked on course for an impressive start after cancelling out a double-bogey at the second with an eagle on the third, but was left to rue a bogey at his final hole of the day on the way to a round of 68.

Martin Kaymer, who will leapfrog Rory McIlroy and claim the world No. 3 spot with a top-eight finish, is level with Montgomerie, his 2010 Ryder Cup captain, at level-par.

The German has struggled in recent weeks, with only one strokeplay top ten to his name since January, and he was nowhere near his best with the irons in Paris, missing six of his greens. Nevertheless he did not do his chances too much damage - as was the case for former champion Miguel Angel Jimenez, who also shot 71.

Another Ryder Cup star, Edoardo Molinari, upped his game this time last year, winning the Scottish Open in style, but there looks little danger of a repeat. He posted a 75 that included a double-bogey at the seventh. Darren Clarke also managed the same score.

Bubba Watson was another player to struggle, as the American made an unexpected appearance on the European Tour. It all looked so promising for the prodigious hitter as he birdied two of his opening three holes, but he slipped back prior to the turn before a bogey on the 16th and disappointing double-bogey at the last saw him finish with an underwhelming 74.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.