It was not quite 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, to win one.

“I missed too many fairways. Six pars were good, but 12 bogeys were not so good. Never mind – try again tomorrow.”

He was not alone in struggling, however. Defending champion Rich Beem also shot 82, Darren Clarke and Surrey’s Paul Casey, playing his fifth major and still to make a halfway cut, had 79s, Open runner-up Thomas Bjorn a 78 and Justin Rose, fifth in the US Open in June, Greg Owen and Phillip Price were all 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.

Padraig Harrington, Europe’s top player in the world, had four successive bogeys himself from the fifth, but played the rest in two under for a 72. Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia matched that to be the best of the 29-strong European contingent, but they are already six behind.

Second to Poulter 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 10th, 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. After driving into the rough again his third missed the green right and came to rest on a lady spectator’s beach 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 no fewer than 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, who needed a special invitation after falling outside the world’s top 200 from fourth in 2001.

“It’s not easy out there – start missing fairways and you can run up some big scores.”

Casey had blamed his poor record in the majors on applying too much pressure, but having felt much more relaxed he still played poorly and it hurt.

“I was looking forward to it, but didn’t didn’t play well and that’s much more annoying,” said the Surrey youngster, buoyed by a best-ever 10th place finish on the US Tour last week.

“I hit only one fairway with my driver and you can’t do that.” At least he had a birdie. Montgomerie, Rose and Westwood did not manage one.

Mickelson, in contrast, birdied three of his first four holes, including the long 13th after hitting his second into the “Hill of Fame” – an area so-named because the giant trees have plaques on them dedicated to famous players of the past.

The left-hander hit one, but it came out into the rough and left him a clear shot to the green. He took advantage of his good fortune there by pitching to 18 feet and making the putt.

Mickelson, playing his 46th major and hoping to make it into the winner’s enclosure for the first time, reached five under with five to play, but finished with a bogey to fall back alongside Pampling – the Queenslander remembered for leading after the first round in the 1999 Open at Carnoustie and then missing the halfway cut.

Woods said: “I just didn’t drive very well and put myself under a lot of pressure because of it.

“It didn’t matter what club I hit off the tee – I couldn’t keep in play. The wind was swirling a touch in the trees, which made it a little more difficult.

“I just need a little more trust in my swing and tomorrow is a new day. You know by the end of the week it’s going to be tough just to try and stay under par or even par.”

Clarke’s start was wretched. He double bogeyed the 10th and triple-bogeyed the 11th. It was damage limitation after that.

Paul McGinley, the other Irishman in the field, and Londoner Brian Davis shot 73, Gary Evans came in four over and Welshman Bradley Dredge, whose clubs arrived only yesterday, scored 75.