Colin Montgomerie to bid for Open spot in Ayrshire

Colin Montgomerie will make his attempt to secure a spot in next month's Open Championship on Scottish soil, having initially hinted he would be trying his luck in final qualifying at Hillside in Lancashire.

Colin Montgomerie will attempt to qualify for The Open at Gailes Links. Picture: Ian Rutherford.

Instead, the big Scot will be the main attraction at Gailes Links in Ayrshire on Tuesday, when he will need to finish in the top three to secure a spot on home turf at Royal Troon in the 145th staging of the game’s oldest major.

“When entering, you have to give your choice of courses in order of preference, and he had put Hillside as he was due to be in that part of the country next week,” said a spokesperson for IMG, Montgomerie’s management company.

“He is delighted, though, to be playing at Gailes Links, and is looking forward to trying to qualify to play at Royal Troon, his home course.”

Montgomerie, who turned 53 yesterday, made 21 consecutive appearances in The Open before that run came to an end after he finished joint 68th at St Andrews in 2010. He tied for 25th behind American Todd Hamilton in 2004, the last time the Claret Jug event was staged at Royal Troon.