SCOTLAND were not exactly out of the World Cup after the first round

at La Moraleja in Madrid yesterday, but they were lagging nine shots

behind the Americans, whose combined score of 134 was 10 under par, two

ahead of hosts Spain. Wales and Japan were tied for third place on five

under.

Colin Montgomerie, who shot 71, and Gordon Brand Jr (72) admitted they

just never got going and, while hoping for better things today, they

conceded it was already unlikely that they could catch Fred Couples and

Davis Love.

''We have to start holing some putts to be in contention,'' said

Brand, who played without his trademark moustache. ''I was trimming it

and made a hash of it,'' he explained, an early indication that his

touch might not be all it should be.

''We played with the Paraguayans and even they beat us,'' Montgomerie

sighed.

It is arguable that the best Scot was, in fact, a Chilean, Roy

Mackenzie, one of whose great grandparents came from Scotland. He shot a

69 to help Chile to four under par, and he will be playing on the

European Tour next season after finishing tenth on the Challenge Tour

this year.

Couples, whose 66 included seven birdies, three of them 2s, and Love,

who had six birdies in his 68, are rather further on in their careers.

They were both out in 34, Couples despite an intriguing bogey at the

fifth, a 379-yard par 4 that skirts a ake.

''I kinda topped a three wood off the tee,'' he said in his laconic

way. ''I saw it splash, but those things usually skip pretty well and it

got out no problem. I hit a three wood on and three-putted from 60

feet.''

The US Masters champion suffered no such indignities on his inward

nine, picking up four birdies to come home in 32, a run bettered only by

Spain's Jose Rivero. He shared the individual lead with Couples, one

stroke ahead of Ian Woosnam, finishing with three consecutive birdies

for a second nine of 31, five under par. Miguel Angel Jimenez tagged

along with a 70.

Woosnam had seven birdies, and his partner Mark Mouland overcame a

triple-bogey 6 at the fourth, where he hit a No.6-iron shot into the

water. He also played his third from the tee, not having spotted the

dropping zone 60 yards on, but had five birdies in the last 10 holes to

salvage a 72.

One consolation for Scotland was that they were not alone in having an

ordinary day. England also finished on 143, despite a 69 from Steve

Richardson, and Ireland were positively dire. Christy O'Connor Jr opened

with two birdies but faded to a 73, while Ronan Rafferty had not a

single birdie in his 77. Ireland were tied with Greece and Finland on

six over par, ahead of only four nations.

The local tip is in full view of the course and, six months after

having been asked to make it less environmentally hideous, the local

council did something about it. Overnight half of it turned from brown

to green, thanks to the application of a mixture of paint, water,

petrol, and seeds of various kinds. Shades of Augusta and its green sand

-- almost! First-round scores:

134 -- United States (Fred Couples 66, Davis Love 68).

136 -- Spain (Jose Rivero 66, Miguel Jimenez 70).

139 -- Wales (Ian Woosnam 67, Mark Mouland 72); Japan (Kiyoshi Murota

68, Hirofumi Miyase 71).

140 -- South Korea; New Zealand (Greg Turner 69, Frank Nobilo 71);

Australia (Brett Ogle 68, Peter O'Malley 72); Canada (Brent Franklin 69,

Richard Zokol 71); South Africa (Ernie Els 70, De Wat Basson 70); Chile.

142 -- Paraguay; Switzerland; Sweden (Anders Forsbrand 68, Per-Ulrik

Johansson 74).

143 -- Scotland (Colin Montgomerie 71, Gordon Brand Jr 72); England

(Steven Richardson 69, David Gilford 74); Colombia.

144 -- Taiwan; Mexico.

145 -- France; Argentina.

146 -- Germany (Bernhard Langer 71, Heinz-Peter Thuel 75).

147 -- Norway; Italy (Costantino Rocca 73, Silvio Grappasonni 74).

148 -- Denmark; Brazil.

150 -- Ireland (Christy O'Connor Jr 73, Ronan Rafferty 77); Finland;

Greece.