Colin Montgomerie win was cruel on Ross Drummond

GOLF really can be a cruel old game, as Ross Drummond, one of the nicest blokes you could ever meet, discovered to his cost on Sunday as he was pipped by Colin Montgomerie in a play-off for the Travis Perkins Masters at Woburn.

Colin Montgomerie with the trophy during at the Travis Perkins Masters. Picture: Getty

In 490 appearances on the European Tour, Drummond was unable to taste victory and, similarly, had come up dry in a further 125 starts on the European Senior Tour.

At 58 years and 281 days, that elusive first title was in his grasp only for the Prestwick-based player to three-putt the last, Montgomerie birdie it and then beat his fellow Scot at the second extra hole.

Hats off to Montgomerie, who overcame a damaging back-nine run in his opening round to become the first player to win the same tournament three years running on both the European Tour and Senior Tour. As well as Bernhard Langer, he’s got Jeff Maggert to overcome this time around in his bid to top the Champions Tour money-list this season and lift the Charles Schwab Cup for the first time, but he is clearly playing with a confidence to achieve that particular target.

What a pity for Drummond, though, to get so close to that winner’s circle after 28 years on tour, only to be left feeling as though he’d been punched in the belly.

If there’s any justice – and golf, unfortunately, isn’t too kind in that respect – Drummond will come out on top in one of the remaining two events on the Senior Tour this season.