Colin Montgomerie tells hurting Scottish duo to analyse where it went wrong

Published on Monday 20 December 2010 14:05

COLIN Montgomerie has backed fellow Scots Alastair Forsyth and Marc Warren to bounce back from the disappointment of losing full playing privileges on the European Tour but is urging them to analyse exactly why it happened so as to avoid the same thing happening again.

Both two-time winners on the European Tour, Forsyth and Warren are facing up to the prospect of limited starts on the circuit in 2011 after finishing outside the top 115 on this year's money-list then failing to win back their cards at the Qualifying School in Spain.

According to Montgomerie, who watched both players establish themselves on the Tour over the last decade and played with each of them in the World Cup, winning it with Warren in China three years ago, the pair appear to have lost confidence in their games.

However, Europe's winning Ryder Cup captain is adamant they can haul themselves out of the depths of despair - Forsyth admitted he'd hit "rock bottom" after failing to make it through to the final two rounds at the Qualifying School - to secure their places back at the top table, using the coming weeks and months to learn valuable lessons and become stronger in the future. "It is a pity that this happens," said Montgomerie. "It's a great shame that two winners, two true champions like them, don't have full playing rights on the Tour next year. They'll get the odd start, but it is very tough if you fall out of that top 115.

"I think it got to the stage that the harder they tried the worse it was and I am disappointed for them both. I wished Marc luck at start of Tour School and followed his scores on the computer and it was a shame knowing how good they are.

"Confidence is a massive thing in sport. If you are confident about doing something you will do it. I don't think they had the confidence going in (to the Qualifying School] and it is difficult to find it there."

Along with many others, Montgomerie, who finished below both players on the money-list but retained his playing privileges through an exemption that runs until 2015, expected Warren to go from strength to strength after the pair linked up to record Scotland's first World Cup win three years ago, the success at Mission Hills coming a few months after Warren had won the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

"I would ask Marc to analyse what went on after our World Cup win as he was the strength of our team," added the eight-time European No 1. "I thought he'd drive on and kick on from there and he hasn't. What has happened since? I'd ask him to work that out and to come back stronger.He will come back, it is not if it is when.

"I think the standard on the Tour is improving dramatically but what this shows is that the standard or those upcoming is very strong as well, very strong. The top 115 can play golf, there's no question about that, and if you are off colour for the year you could miss out. Without an exemption to back you up, you are in serious trouble and I think that's what has happened here.

"But, at the same time, it is up to them to analyse the situation and to work out the reasons why they don't have full playing rights and get back in there because they are both good enough. And I say both because I played with both in the World Cup and it is such a shame that two winners within Scotland don't have the full rights to play.

"I'm very fortunate that I have an exemption that covered me for when I was doing other things last year. It isn't easy. If it was easy we'd all be doing it. The rewards are great and we have a great lifestyle and I'm very fortunate to say thay if I ever came back in this world again I'd love to be able to do what I'm doing right now. There are very few of us who are able to say that, very few. It is a great job, doing one's hobby as their job, but it is bloody difficult."

In addition to Forsyth and Warren, Andrew Coltart and Scott Drummond, two other European Tour winners, have also lost their full playing privileges for next year, though, on the upside, George Murray, Scott Jamieson and Raymond Russell have stepped up from the Challenge Tour and the Saltman brothers, Elliot and Lloyd, graduated from the Qualifying School.

"We are going through a bit of a transition in Scottish golf right now," noted Montgomerie. "I remember an article five years ago asking what had happened with English golf due to the fact there was only one player in the top 100. That was Lee Westwood, who was fourth but there was no one else from fourth to 100. Now there's got to be 15 of them.

"We find we are not strong just now but talk to me again in four years' time and hopefully the answer will be different.

"And I am looking forward to seeing how Lloyd Saltman develops on the Tour after being in the so-called wilderness since his performance (when winning the Silver Medal] at The Open (in 2005]. I played a round with him (before one of the two Walker Cups Saltman played in] at North Berwick through Martin Gilbert of Aberdeen Asset Management. I was very impressed, he's a very confident young man and showed that at the Qualifying School, getting a good card."