Dougherty leads the way

A red-hot short game fired Nick Dougherty to the top of the leaderboard in the first round of the US Open at Oakmont.

Dougherty carded a late birdie to set the clubhouse target on two under par after a superb 68, while Argentina's Angel Cabrera (69) was the only other player to card a sub-par round.

"I'm delighted with a 68," Dougherty said. "I didn't play all that well from tee to green but my short game was red hot as it has been lately and I putted solidly."

Former British Open champion Ben Curtis, defending champion Geoff Ogilvy and Tiger Woods each signed for a 71.

Woods, in search of his third US Open title, closed with an eight-footer for par at 16, a birdie at 17 and then another solid par on the last after finding the right rough with his drive.

He said: "That was a nice way to end the round. The key to my round was 16, 17 and 18. I could have lost three shots there but was able to keep it where it is."

Colin Montgomerie, who had the title within his grasp before a closing-hole disaster at Winged Foot a year ago, started his round with a birdie at the 10th, his opening hole.

But he stumbled with a double-bogey at the par-five 12th, and then things fell apart around the turn, eventually signing for a 76.