Montgomerie makes the early running in Singapore

Defending champion Colin Montgomerie made a brilliant start to his golf year with a seven-under-par 65 at the Singapore Masters today.

The Scot birdied three of the four par-threes on the Laguna National course to race three strokes clear of the field midway through the opening round of the event co-sanctioned by the Asian and European tours.

Montgomerie, who needed only 29 putts and did not drop a single shot, was playing his first competitive round since last month's Target World Challenge in California.

English pair Nick Dougherty and Mark Foster were next best on four-under-par 68.