MAMARONECK, N.Y. — Tiger struggled, Lefty scrambled and another one-name wonder surprisingly played himself back onto golf's biggest stage.

Say hello, once again, to Monty.

Colin Montgomerie got in contention at the U.S. Open for the first time this decade, shooting 1-under-par 69 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead over Phil Mickelson and move seven shots ahead of Tiger Woods, who struggled mightily in his return.

"If I didn't think I could win, I wouldn't have bothered flying over here," said Montgomerie, the 42-year-old Scot, after posting the only below-par score of the opening round. "It's quite a long way."

Woods won't play in a tournament he doesn't think he can win, either, which is why he took nine weeks off to tend to his ill father, then mourn his death.

But after an opening round of 76 that found him in many an awkward spot — such as when he hit a heavy draw from near the hospitality tents on No. 9, around the trees and intentionally into the grandstand so he could take a free drop — Woods is in for an uphill climb.

He was stoic and unemotional as he trudged through his poor round, which began with missed par putts of 8, 7 and 6 feet over the first three holes.

It was hardly the debut he hoped for in his first tournament since the Masters, where he finished third.

"I understand the situation where everyone is looking for me to be more emotional," he said. "Right now I'm just focusing, just trying to get the ball in the hole."

Mickelson finished his morning round at even par and had to scramble to do it. He missed the green on five straight holes over his first nine, but saved par on all. Two long putts offset two bogeys and there he was, well in contention to win his third straight major.

But this was no easy day, and no easy course. The average score was 75.98, nearly six strokes over par on a layout that got whipped by the wind, then baked by the sun. It was the highest first-round average at the U.S. Open since Shinnecock Hills in 1986.

"Not really," Mickelson said when asked if he could describe how tough things were. "You'd have to go play it to grasp it. It's the toughest test we have all year."

Tied with Lefty at par were Steve Stricker, Miguel Angel Jimenez, 2003 champion Jim Furyk and David Howell, whose level-par round was anything but average. He made six birdies to get to 4-under, three ahead of Montgomerie, but finished with two bogeys and a double courtesy of nine putts and a bunch of other ill-timed mistakes during the final four holes.