Colin Montgomerie crashed to his worst-ever round in America yesterday - a 12-over-par 82 which left him a massive 16 strokes adrift of early US PGA championship leaders Phil Mickelson and Australian Rod Pampling.

Returning to the Oak Hill course in Rochester, New York, where he helped Europe win the Ryder Cup eight years ago, Montgomerie handed in a card which was four more than his previous highest in the event.

It was not his worst score in a major, though. That remains his horror 84 in the third round of The Open at Muirfield last year.

''I just didn't play very well,'' said the 40-year-old Scot, appearing in his 50th major and still, of course, yet to win one.

Defending champion Rich Beem also shot 82, Surrey's Paul Casey had a 79, Open runner-up Thomas Bjorn a 78 while both Justin Rose, fifth in the US Open in June, and Phillip Price were round in 77.

Tiger Woods, major-less this season, could manage ''only'' a 74, while shock Open champion Ben Curtis bogeyed the first four holes and had to battle hard for a 75.

The same was required of both Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington, Clarke after starting with a double bogey and triple bogey and Harrington had four successive bogeys on the front nine.

Second in the Nordic Open in Denmark on Sunday, Montgomerie had crossed the Atlantic in optimistic mood.

But it did not stay that way for long - all that could be said of his start was that he had lasted longer than he did at The Open last month.

At Sandwich, he pulled out on the eighth hole because of pain from a wrist injury suffered in a fall at his hotel.

Montgomerie paid for a wayward opening drive at the tenth, saved par from sand at the short 11th, went over the green at the 12th and then had a real adventure on the 598-yard next. It even involved a beach towel.

After driving into the rough again, his third missed the green right and came to rest on a lady spectator's towel. It had a picture of whales on it, but he was not having a whale of a time and after chipping superbly to seven feet, he missed and so took six.

A further bogey followed immediately, then more at the 17th, 18th and six of the outward holes.

Fellow Scot Alastair Forsyth, playing his first major in America, began much more brightly with three pars and then a birdie at the long fourth.

But then came a triple-bogey seven at the 461-yard seventh and he eventually finished with a respectable 73, the same as Luke Donald and Lee Westwood.

''I felt I played very solidly,'' said Westwood.