Colin Montgomerie began the defence of his US Senior Open title with a two-under-par 68 in Sacramento on Thursday.

The Scot, who won courtesy of a play-off at Edmond, Oklahoma last year, carded five birdies and three bogeys in an opening round which left him just two shots behind leader Tom Watson

The five-time Open champion, who will play the year's second major for the last time at St Andrew's next month, recorded just one shot more than his age with a 66 that left him four under.

Montgomerie made a fine start to his title defence at Del Paso Country Club when he birdied the par-five, 538-yard first hole.

The Scot passed up the opportunity to pick up another shot at the par-three second and the par-four third but made amends by birdieing the fourth, also a par-five.

That enabled Montgomerie to move to within two shots of earlier-starter Watson but, after successive pars at the fifth and sixth, he bogeyed seven to turn in 35.

The 52-year-old picked up a shot on 10 but gave it back on 14 before making it three birdies out of three on the par fives on 15.

Montgomerie's up and-and-down round continued with a bogey on 16 which was recovered on the next before a closing par kept him well in contention.

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