Monty tees up memories ahead of landmark 500th Tour outing

Published on Friday 20 March 2009 21:11

READY to tee up next week in his 500th European Tour appearance as a professional at the Open de Andalucia in Seville, Colin Montgomerie can reflect on more than 20 years of competition in which he became the most prolific British winner in Tour history.

Since picking up his first cheque for finishing 45th at the 1987 German Masters, the Scot has won no fewer than 31 Tour events. He's also posted 182 top ten finishes, set 13 course records and won the Vardon Trophy for Europe's No1 player eight times.

The arc of his career, however, is not just about glory. Monty has suffered more than his share of heartache in the majors. Here we look back at ten of the Scot's most memorable tournaments.

1) Portuguese Open, Quinta do Lago, 1989

Monty's first win as a professional was among his most impressive. In what was his 54th event as a pro, the 26-year-old Scot signed off with 63 and lapped the field. His 11 shot margin of victory was the most substantial since Ken Brown had romped away with the Glasgow Open five years earlier.

Montgomerie, who once considered working for IMG as a client manager, recalls telephoning his father James to tell him the good news: "I will never forget the thrill of ringing home that evening and how my father and I agreed I was probably in the right job after all."

2) US Open, Pebble Beach, 1992

In some parallel universe perhaps there's a Colin Montgomerie who looks back on this championship as the tournament which kick-started a multiple major-winning career. In this world, however, it was merely the first of many hard luck stories in the four events which matter most.

On his debut at America's national championship, the Scot recorded a closing 70 for 288. As the weather deteriorated, Jack Nicklaus congratulated Monty on his first major win. When conditions unexpectedly improved, Tom Kite came through to win with Jeff Sluman second and Monty had to settle for "an anti-climactic third place".

3) Volvo Masters, Valderrama, 1993

The subtleties and idiosyncrasies of Valderrama on the Costa del Sol were not to every golfer's taste. Montgomerie, though, relished the challenge and enjoyed some of the best moments of his career there.

The outcome of the Order of Merit as well as the Volvo Masters hung on Monty's final round in 1993. He'd played well to lead Darren Clarke by a shot going into the last day.The Scot signed for 68 and 274 to hold onto his advantage. That victory sparked an astonishing run of seven consecutive seasons as Europe's No1.

4) US PGA, Riviera, 1995

To this day, the Scot reckons the golf he played that week in Los Angeles was "the finest of my life". His command of distance with the irons was never more controlled as he located 69 greens in regulation.

Moreover, his finish was nothing short of brilliant – three successive birdies between the 16th and the 18th to tie with Steve Elkington on 17 under par. In the play-off, the Scot hit his drive straighter and further than the Australian; and his 8-iron landed ten feet closer to the pin. Elkington, though, holed the 30 footer, Monty missed from 20 feet and the Australian became a major winner.

5) US Open, Congressional, 1997

Having just won at Slaley Hall by seven strokes, Monty was in a rich seam of form when he arrived in Washington DC. Playing with Phil Mickelson and Davis Love III, the Scot opened with a 65 distinguished by such pure ball striking that both his American partners reckoned they'd never seen anyone play better.

Unfortunately the wheels came off in the second round when a rain delay encouraged some in the gallery to visit the beer tent. Feeling tired from jet lag, the Scot reacted poorly to heckling, lost concentration and carded 76. He lost to Ernie Els by a shot.

6) PGA Championship, Wentworth, 1998

As with Valderrama, the Scot has an affection for Wentworth which brought out the best in him. In 1998, it looked as if he might miss the cut before three consecutive birdies at the end of the second round helped Monty secure a place on the weekend. He roared back into contention with 65 on Saturday and fought a thrilling duel with compatriot Dean Robertson in the final round. Robertson was a shot to the good before hooking his drive out of bounds on the 16th. Monty holed a nine footer on the last and would also win the Tour's flagship again in 1999 and 2000.

7) Scottish Open, Loch Lomond, 1999

This was Monty's first professional win on Scottish turf and helped soothe the pain of an earlier loss at Gleneagles in 1992 when Peter O'Malley played the last five holes in seven under par to snatch victory. It was Monty's turn in the final round of this championship to floor the accelerator. He made nine birdies in 12 holes and signed off with 64 to overtake Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood among others.

8) The Open, St Andrews, 2005

It took the Scot years to warm to the challenge of the Old Course. While he had to wait until he was 42 to unlock some of the old girl's secrets, Monty came closer to winning the oldest major in 2005 than he ever did in his pomp.

Three under for the outward half on Sunday, the Scot had trimmed Tiger Woods' advantage to a stroke. On the 11th, however, he chose a 6-iron rather than a 7 and flew the ball through the back of the green. Monty made bogey, Tiger birdied the 12th and the Troon man had to settle for second.

9) Dunhill Links, St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, 2005

Three months after the Open, Monty was so determined not to change anything about competing in St Andrews that he used the same yardage book and even stayed in the same room at the Old Course hotel.

Without Tiger in the field, the Scot pulled off his first home win since 1999, beating Kenny Ferrie by a stroke. Trailing by five shots after 54 holes, it was the first time in Monty's career he'd come from so far behind to win.

10) US Open, Winged Foot, 2006

Whereas all of Montgomerie's previous close shaves in the majors left no permanent scars, the self-inflicted wound from this near miss left its mark. When Monty holed a huge putt on the penultimate hole and bisected the fairway with his drive on the last, it seemed his long wait for a major title was over.

Facing a bread-and-butter fade with a 7-iron to a green where the pin was cut on the right, he chunked the shot, ran up a double bogey and lost out to Geoff Ogilvy. "At other majors when I've been runner-up, the door has been closed on me," he recalled, "but I closed it on myself at Winged Foot."