Colin Montgomerie signs up for Open qualifying

Published on Wednesday 30 March 2011 19:09

Colin Montgomerie is set to headline a strong field at the European leg of International Final Qualifying for July's Open.

The former Ryder Cup skipper has submitted his entry for the 36-hole shoot-out at Sunningdale in June as he looks to continue his run of Open appearances.

Monty, 47, has qualified for every championship since his debut in 1990, although the eight-times European No 1 was a late withdrawal from the 2003 event at St George's after injuring his hand.

Montgomerie has been joined on the early entry list for the Sunningdale scramble by fellow Scots Peter Whiteford and Scott Jamieson.

Paul Lawrie, who is exempt as a former Open champion, has revealed he celebrated his weekend win in the Andalucia Open with a special bottle of wine on his return to Aberdeen.

"We opened a bottle of wine that I bought after my Wales Open win which I was keeping for my next win - so it had nine years of dust on it," said the Aberdonian. "(Wife] Marian, myself and her parents all had a large glass to celebrate."

Meanwhile, the new Paul Lawrie Invitational on the Tartan Tour has been pencilled in for 15-17 June at Deeside, the same week as the US Open.