Monty still has major plans
Colin Montgomerie insists he can still win a major and heads to next month’s Open full of confidence despite his last-hole collapse in the United States on Sunday.
The Scot double-bogeyed the 18th hole at the US Open at Winged Foot when a par would have proved good enough to give him a first major title at the 58th attempt.
Even a bogey would have secured an 18-hole play-off with eventual winner Geoff Ogilvy.
However, despite failing to shed his tag as the best player never to win a major the Ryder Cup star is confident victory in golf’s elite tournaments is not beyond him and he fully expects to be a contender at Royal Liverpool next month.
“I wouldn’t enter otherwise. I would have given up this game a long time ago,” he said.
“I’m going to Hoylake to the Open next month full of confidence. It is tight off the tee and you have to position your ball from the drive. The greens are pretty flat so it should suit me.
“I finished second in the Open last year (at St Andrews), have finished second in the US edition and one day let’s hope the door is open. It was open last week but I didn’t walk through it.”
Montgomerie, who is 43 on Friday, believes his age is no barrier to major success.
“We are lucky in golf. Physically I am fitter than I have ever been and mentally tougher,” he added.
“It has been a tough couple of years and it is just a question of giving yourself opportunities. I had a chance at the weekend and hopefully I will have chances in the future.
“Age is not as much a factor in golf as it is in other sports. If I was a tennis player or a footballer I would be well gone.”
Montgomerie, who is back in action on the European Tour this week at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, has no regrets over the way his US Open dream was dashed.
Faced with a mid-iron approach to the final hole he opted to take a seven iron rather than a six as he expected to hit the ball further with his adrenalin pumping but came up short, which resulted in a double bogey.
“I would do exactly the same thing again,” Montgomerie, who has endured play-off defeats in the 1994 US Open (against Ernie Els) and 1995 US PGA (Steve Elkington), as well as another second-place finish in the 1997 US Open (Els again), told Sky Sports News.
“This ranks as my number one disappointment because it was my fault this time.
“Usually in these situations I haven’t done much wrong and they (opponents) have beaten me but on this occasion I have made a mistake myself and that is what hurts more than anything.”
The eight-time Order of Merit winner is now looking to move on and in addition to the year’s two final majors at Hoylake and the US PGA in Medinah, Illinois, he has the Ryder Cup at the K Club to look forward to as well as personal goal to aim for.
“I am back to 14th in the world and I want to try to get back into the top 10 and that is a goal. I have got four spots to gain in four months,” he said.
