Scots trio aim for Russian crown

COLIN Montgomerie and Gordon Brand Jnr, winners of the last two events on the European Senior Tour, lead a tartan contingent aiming to complete a hat-trick in the Russian Senior Open.

The event, starting today at Moscow Country Club, is Montgomerie’s first since his triumph in the Travis Perkins Senior Open at Woburn a fortnight ago while Brand Jnr has also made the long journey brimming with confidence after claiming victory in Germany last weekend.

“I have never been here before, it’s amazing,” said Montgomerie. “It’s great that there are still areas in my life – after 30 years of travelling the world – that I can still come to visit for the first time. I’m going down to the Kremlin on Saturday evening and will look forward to having my picture taken there to go on Facebook!”

The course itself hosted the Russian Open on The European Tour between 2003 and 2008 and Montgomerie added: “It’s a very tree-lined and quite British-looking golf course, not dissimilar to Woburn in fact, so, 
hopefully, it will suit my game again. It was a very special moment to win again in my first regular European Senior Tour event after six long years. It was great to get that competitive buzz again.”

Compatriot Sam Torrance, also in the field for the 54-hole event, joked: “You think Scotland has pretty bad winters but that’s nothing compared to what you get over here.

“That is one of the challenges Russia faces but when you see the facilities they have here and the excitement of the members to have us here then that only bodes well for the future of golf in this country.”

Edinburgh’s Andrew Oldcorn, who shot a final round 61 to take a share of second place behind Brand Jnr last weekend, is also in the line-up.