Monty in action on day three. (Getty Images)

Colin Montgomerie found something to celebrate at Pinehurst today - a first birdie in 37 holes.

"I don't think I've ever gone that long before," said Montgomerie after a two over par 72 in the US Open left him nine over with a round to go.

It came on the 190-yard 17th with a 25-foot putt and was his first since the 16th on the opening day.

To mark the fact the 41-year-old Scot even allowed caddie Alastair MacLean to pick the ball out of the hole.

Montgomerie described his score as "a helluva effort" and added: "Anything under par here is tremendous. The pins are in very difficult spots and the greens are drying out.

"I just can't wait to play the ninth hole at St Andrews (venue of next month's Open). You can hit it anywhere and it will be such a relief.

"But there is a way round this course and I was doing it for 12 holes."

He parred them all, but then bogeyed the next and double-bogeyed the 16th, missing the fairway both times.

"I've never seen a pin like the one of the 13th. From there in it's very, very difficult."

Paul McGinley was alongside Montgomerie on nine over after a 71 - and then told his story of what happened yesterday evening.

Fearful of missing the cut on eight over he headed off to Raleigh-Durham airport, a 90-minute drive away.

"There's nothing worse than missing the cut and then missing a flight when the next one is not for 24 hours," he said. "So I got there and told the girl on the check-in desk the situation.

"I was getting calls from my caddie and my manager and there was half an hour before the gate closed when I was told I had made the cut.

"I obviously wouldn't have taken the flight if I hadn't known, but if I'd then missed the cut it would have been a double whammy."

Graeme McDowell (72), Ian Poulter (74) and Nick Dougherty (74) all finished the day 10 over, one ahead of Jonathan Lomas (75).