Woods - disappointing 75 (Getty)

Tiger Woods and Colin Montgomerie, on a high after finishing first and second in the Open last month, came crashing back down to earth.

Montgomerie's euphoria dissolved in a sea of bogeys and double bogeys as he began the USPGA Championship at hot and humid Baltusrol with a dismal seven-over-par 77.

Woods was only two shots better than that and, in relation to par, that represented his worst-ever start to a major as a professional.

The world number one has not yet given up hope of becoming the first player in golf history to win three majors in a season twice - and it ought to be remembered that he came from seven behind at the Masters in April after opening there with a 74.

But he is way down outside the top 100 overnight and already eight adrift of the six joint leaders - Ben Curtis, Trevor Immelman, Rory Sabbatini, Stephen Ames, Stuart Appleby and, most worryingly for Woods, Phil Mickelson.

England's Greg Owen, controversially denied a place in the Open, Lee Westwood, last year's Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer and Swede Jesper Parnevik are in the group just one behind - 47-year-old Langer after closing with an eagle.

Montgomerie blamed a lack of rhythm rather than the finger injury which forced him to pull out of last week's Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles after just 13 holes.

"I didn't have any timing from the word go," said the Scot. "You can't hit it the right distance if you are not timing it.

"But a 67 and I can get back into things. I normally have good rhythm, but never mind. I have not played much since the Open - only a few competitive holes - and it's one of those things.

"If it does not work I will try again next week. That's the beauty of this game." The next major, however, is next April and he will be approaching 43 by then.

Woods commented: "I just didn't start off very well and it was a long day.

"All day I was grinding, but I stayed as patient as possible and I have three more days to get back into it. I will go home, relax and put this day behind me."

Owen, who withdrew from a qualifier for the Open unaware that it meant he would be ruled ineligible for a place when it later became available off his world ranking, has already had a third place finish on the US Tour this year.

"I really enjoy it over here," he said. "The heat's a lot easier on my back for one thing and the atmosphere is fantastic.

"There's a buzz every week, so I was calm at the start and calm at the finish. I am playing really well and I have just got to keep believing in myself."

Westwood parred the first 12 holes, bogeyed the next, but finished with three birdies in four holes.

When he stood one under after five all seemed to be well for Montgomerie, but he then dropped nine strokes in the next 10 holes.

First he went from rough to sand on the 430-yard 15th for a bogey five, then he chipped over the green at the short 16th and from the other side stubbed his next attempt and moved the ball less than two feet.

That led to a double bogey five, but worst of all was the seven he ran up on the 554-yard 18th - arguably the easiest hole on the demanding New Jersey lay-out.

A carved drive into sand was followed by a pulled second which failed to make the carry over the water hazard which runs across the fairway.

Montgomerie's fourth shot then went over the green, his chip was 12 feet short and another missed putt produced a back nine 40.

Woods also had unexpected trouble on the 18th. His hooked drive narrowly avoided the ditch and when he arrived at it he looked at the lie and, thinking somebody may have trodden on the ball, asked if he might be entitled to a free drop.

He called for a second opinion when one referee turned him down, but there was no change and after taking a penalty drop he could not make the green and played a poor chip. A bogey six resulted.

Darren Clarke had a 73 and Padraig Harrington, who missed the Open after the death of his father, a 76, while Steve Webster, in his first event in America, a creditable 72. Nick Dougherty and Stephen Dodd, making their debuts in the event, scored 73 and 74 respectively.

"I loved it," said Webster. "I didn't start very well, but a birdie settled me down."

"I didn't play well," said Dougherty, while Dodd, who has not played a major in America since he was British amateur champion 15 years ago, stated: "I have not played well for six or seven weeks and am not enjoying it at the moment.

"It's just hard. It's always easier when you are playing well."

Paul Casey, who quit the US Open after an opening 85, did much better with a level-par 70, the same as world number two and defending champion Vijay Singh.

Collated first-round scores (US unless stated):

67 Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Ben Curtis, Stuart Appleby (Aus), Phil Mickelson, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa), Stephen Ames (Can)

68 Steve Elkington (Aus), Bernhard Langer (Ger), Heath Slocum, Greg Owen (Gbr), Davis Love, Retief Goosen (Rsa), Lee Westwood (Gbr), Jesper Parnevik (Swe), Pat Perez, Ben Crane, John Rollins

69 Ian Poulter (Gbr), Hal Sutton, Ted Purdy, Justin Leonard, Luke Donald (Gbr), Tom Pernice, Kenny Perry, Fred Funk, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Mark Hensby (Aus)

70 Charles Howell, Mark Calcavecchia, Jerry Kelly, Kevin Na, Zach Johnson, Steve Flesch, Bo Van Pelt, Carlos Franco (Par), Paul Casey (Gbr), Vijay Singh (Fij), Alex Cejka (Ger), Dudley Hart

71 Loren Roberts, Ron Philo, Bob Tway, Shingo Katayama (Jpn), Stewart Cink, David Toms, Peter Lonard (Aus), Bob Estes, Yang Yong-eu (Kor), Jasoon Bohn, Sean O'Hair, Tim Clark (Rsa), Thomas Bjorn (Den), Chad Campbell, John Daly, KJ Choi (Kor), Scott Verplank, Lee Janzen, Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra)

72 Jim Furyk, Mike Weir (Can), Fred Couples, Tom Lehman, Scott McCarron, JL Lewis, Shaun Micheel, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe), Paul Azinger, Chip Johnson, Hunter Mahan, Brett Melton, Steve Webster (Gbr), Darrell Kestner, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Chris Riley, Woody Austin, Sergio Garcia (Spa), Graeme McDowell (Gbr), Paul McGinley (Ire), Steve Schneiter, Jeff Yurkiewicz

73 Jonathan Kaye, Joe Durant, Jeff Maggert, Shigeki Maruyama (Jpn), Rod Pampling (Aus), Nick Dougherty (Gbr), Richard Johnson (Swe), Darren Clarke (Gbr), Michael Campbell (Nzl), Niclas Fasth (Swe), Patrick Sheehan, Brad Faxon, Ryan Palmer, Todd Hamilton, Peter Hanson (Swe), Billy Mayfair

74 Arjun Atwal (Ind), Stephen Dodd (Gbr), Kevin Sutherland, Tim Fleming, Lucas Glover, Henrik Stenson (Swe), Brett Quigley, Brian Davis (Gbr), Adam Scott (Aus), Joe Ogilvie, Arron Oberholser, Mike Small, Stephen Leaney (Aus), Rob Moss, Jeff Coston, Chris Wiemers

75 Bob Ford, Chris DiMarco, Tiger Woods, Vaughn Taylor, Bart Bryant, Tim Petrovic

76 Billy Andrade, Thongchai Jaidee (Thai), SK Ho (Kor), Toru Taniguchi (Jpn), Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa), Robert Allenby (Aus), Craig Parry (Aus), Jeff Sluman, Padraig Harrington (Ire), Travis Long, Nick O'Hern (Aus), Brent Geiberger, Don Berry, Alan Morin

77 Mark Mielke, Colin Montgomerie (Gbr), David Duval, Jeff Sluman, Maarten Lafeber (Ned), Michael Allen, Tim Thelen, Jay Haas, Dave Tentis

78 Tim Herron, Mark Brooks, Chris Starkjohann, Tim Weinhart, Wayne Grady (Aus), Mike Reid, David Howell (Gbr), Kellly Mitchum

79 Richard Green (Aus), Thomas Levet (Fra), Rich Beem, Scott Spence, Stephen Gallacher (Gbr)

80 Craig Thomas, Jeff Martin

81 Rich Steinmetz