Montgomerie snaps again as he loses his cool in China

Published on Friday 17 April 2009 22:19

COLIN Montgomerie's temper boiled over at the Volvo China Open yesterday as he berated a photographer and a television cameraman during his second round.

The Scot has talked about how being handed the task of winning back the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor in 2010 has led to him taking a more relaxed approach on the course. But there was little evidence of that new mindset at the event in Beijing as Montgomerie laboured to a one over par 73 and a two-over score at the halfway point in the Chinese capital.

Having covered his first four holes in even-par, Montgomerie was playing the 14th when he banished a photographer who had irritated him from inside the ropes. He then hooked his drive at the eighth into the water and as he trudged down the fairway to find his ball, barked at a cameraman: "Don't film me."

South Korean Choi Ho-sung produced four birdies over the back nine to establish a two-stroke lead in the event. On an afternoon that saw several names at the top of the leaderboard including the English trio of Nick Dougherty, Simon Dyson and Richard Finch, it was some inspired putting which put Choi in front on six-under.

Chapchai Nirat and 2007 winner Markus Brier share second on four-under, while Irishman Paul McGinley fired a sparkling 67 to climb to three-under alongside Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano in a tie for fourth.

Dyson and Finch finished two-under after rounds of 73 and 71, respectively, while Dougherty struggled over the back nine, coming home in 43 to sign for a 79 and three-over.

McGinley took advantage of benign morning conditions to sink five birdies over his opening nine holes before playing the last nine in even-par. "I played pretty well yesterday, but putted really, really poorly," he said. "Today, I played pretty much the same but putted fantastically, that's the difference."