DOHA, Qatar (Ticker) -- Colin Montgomerie bounced back in style after missing the cut last week and in near the top of the leaderboard at the Qatar Masters, which had play suspended by fog.

Last week, Montgomerie failed to make the third round at the Dubai Desert Classic for the first time in more than a decade, slumping to a second-round 79 at Emirates Golf Club.

A triple-bogey seven on his final hole sent the 38-year-old to an early exit from the event for the first time since 1990, and he spent all weekend practicing in Dubai to try to avoid a similar fate in Qatar.

It looked as though that practice had paid instant dividends as the seven-time European No. 1 carded an opening round 4-under-par 68 at Doha Golf Club.

Starting on the 10th hole, Montgomerie opened with three pars before picking up birdies at the 13th and 15th to reach the turn at 34.

Playing only his fifth competitive round this year after having withdrawn from the Johnnie Walker Classic with a back injury after the first round, and losing to Scott McCarron in the first round of the Match Play Championships, Montgomerie also carded two birdies on the front nine.

"I played very well tee-to-green and missed a load of putts on my front nine but started to putt a wee bit better on the back nine," Montgomerie said.

"But I struck the ball well, I'm glad to have shot 68 and no bogeys is always what I'm after."

Montgomerie was outscored by playing partner Adam Scott, who carded birdies at three of the last four holes to finish with a 67, but was still within two shots of the early pace set by Swedish duo Klas Eriksson and Joakim Haeggman.

The start of play had been delayed by almost two hours due to fog, and 39 players will complete the first round Friday.

"I could have had an extra couple of hours in bed if I'd known," joked Scott, who was the winner of the Dunhill Championship in South Africa last year.

"It was a very early start getting up at 5 a.m. and I'm feeling a bit tired but it was nice to finish like that."

Zimbabwe's Tony Johnstone also had a good start to the defense of his title after missing the cut in his only two previous events this year.

The 45-year-old fell awkwardly while on vacation in Mauritius shortly after winning his sixth European Tour title here 12 months ago, and struggled with an injury to the rotator cuff on his left shoulder for the rest of the season.

He avoided going under the knife for as long as possible but underwent a procedure in December as a complete success, and was delighted to match Montgomerie's 68.

Meanwhile Haeggman, the first Swede to play in the Ryder Cup when he was picked as a wild card by Bernard Gallagher in 1993, reverted to his old putter after missing the cut in Dubai last week, and was rewarded with six birdies and no dropped shots.

"I left the putter behind last week and that was a mistake," he admitted. "You always think the grass is greener on the other side but I quickly learned it wasn't. I was not holing many putts but I had putted really well with it last year and was among the top 10 on the Tour."