COLIN MONTGOMERIE is just two shots off the pace after the opening round of the Regions Tradition USPGA Champions Tour event at Shoal Creek.

Monty shot a three-under-par 69 and shares third place with Tom Watson and Wes Short Jnr, with Jeff Maggert out in front after a 67.

Another Scot, Sandy Lyle, had a disappointing two-over-par 74.

Scores:

67 Jeff Maggert

68 Kevin Sutherland

69 Colin Montgomerie (Sco), Tom Watson, Wes Short jr.

70 Gil Morgan, Esteban Toledo (Mex), Tom Byrum, David Frost (Rsa), Fred Funk, Kenny Perry, Michael Allen, Guy Boros, Gene Sauers

71 Kirk Triplett, Russ Cochran, Scott Hoch, Jay Don Blake, Tom Pernice Jnr., Billy Andrade, Jeff Hart, John Cook, Mark O'Meara, Olin Browne

72 Scott Dunlap, Brian Henninger, Joey Sindelar, Woody Austin, Peter Senior (Aus), Brad Bryant, Tom Purtzer, Ian Woosnam (Wal), Joe Daley, John Riegger

73 Bernhard Langer (Ger), Bart Bryant, Morris Hatalsky, Bob Tway, Brad Faxon, Joe Durant, Jose Coceres (Arg), Mark McNulty (Irl)

74 Bob Gilder, Rod Spittle (Can), Steve Pate, Mark Calcavecchia, Paul Goydos, Mark Wiebe, Chien-Soon Lu (Tpe), Scott Verplank, Sandy Lyle (Sco)

75 Marco Dawson, Jeff Sluman, Roger Chapman (Eng), Mike Reid, Mike Goodes, Jerry Smith, Loren Roberts, John Huston, Larry Mize, Nick Price

76 Gary Hallberg, Duffy Waldorf, Tom Lehman, Tommy Armour III, Jerry Pate

77 Willie Wood, Doug Rohrbaugh, Mark Brooks, Tom Kite, Larry Nelson, Wayne Levi

78 Peter Jacobsen, Steve Lowery, Lee Janzen

79 Dan Forsman, Jeff Coston

80 Curtis Strange, Jesper Parnevik (Swe)

81 Jim, jr. Gallagher, Bobby Wadkins