Colin Montgomerie digs deep in memory of mother

COLIN Montgomerie has hidden away some of his treasured golfing memorabilia for future generations to find - and said he hopes cancer will find a cure before anyone uncovers it.

The former European No 1 visited Lanarkshire yesterday to donate some mementos from his glory days as European Ryder Cup captain to be buried in a commemorative time capsule at a new 3 million cancer centre being built in memory of his late mother.

Montgomerie joined supporters of his charity, the Elizabeth Montgomerie Foundation and cancer charity Maggie's at Monklands Hospital in Airdrie, the site of the new Maggie's cancer care centre. Montgomerie's mother died of lung cancer in 1991.

During his visit he donated two special mementos from the European Ryder Cup team at Celtic Manor last October - one of the polo shirts he wore as captain of the winning side and a signed official programme of the event.

The prized golfing memorabilia, together with a model of the new cancer care centre, and other mementos from the Maggie's charity, will be buried in a time capsule when the foundations of the new centre are laid later this summer.

And Montgomerie said he hoped that by the time the capsule is uncovered cancer will be a distant memory.

He told supporters, including former first minister Lord Jack McConnell: "I am so pleased to be here today to celebrate the success of our campaign to establish the Elizabeth Montgomerie Building with Maggie's in Lanarkshire, as part of a lasting legacy to my mother.

"We are so close to seeing the fruit of everyone's hard work coming together and I can't wait to revisit this site next year to officially open the centre.

"It is also quite a thought that future generations may discover this time capsule, and you can only hope that for them, cancer will become a disease of the past. I am sure my mother would have been very proud today."

He added: "When my mum was diagnosed, myself, my dad and my brother were clueless and left thinking 'what do we do now?' If there had been a centre like the one we are building, then we would have used it and it would have been a great support to us and my mum.

"My father is very proud of this project and I think my mum would have been very proud that my success was being put to good use by helping others.

"It is an honour and a privilege to be here to see it taking shape and we hope this is the first of many centres that we can build in Scotland and across Britain."

The Scottish golfer, who was European No 1 for eight years, also took time out to stress that he was already focused on attempting to qualify for next year's Open at Royal Lytham and St Anne's.He said: "I have managed to find way of qualifying for 21 years in a row and I am pleased with that record, but unfortunately it's broken this year.

"It just makes me ever more determined to make sure I qualify next year."

A spokeswoman for Maggie's said: "Planning permission is granted for the centre, with architects plans approved, and construction work is set to begin imminently."

Laura Lee, the chief executive of Maggie's said: "This is a really lovely opportunity for us to celebrate the support from Colin and his foundation, who are the principal funders of the Elizabeth Montgomerie Building at Maggie's Lanarkshire.

"Our interim facility is currently working to capacity and it is fantastic to see the plans today and the site location for the new centre and wonderful to think we are on the brink of seeing that centre become a reality.

"This is a fantastic legacy to Colin's mother, Elizabeth."