It is not an anniversary Colin Montgomerie would care to remember but 20 years ago this week he stared Major Championship glory right in the face for a second occasion in 14 months.
Monty had lost out in a U.S. Open play-off a year earlier to Ernie Els but then found himself again denied and this time by Australia’s Steve Elkington for the 1995 PGA Championship crown at Riviera in suburban L.A.
There would be one other occasion when Monty was in a similar situation and that was in 2006 at Winged Foot.
Colin Montgomerie (SCO) all smiles on the range during Wednesday’s Practice Day of the 97th US PGA Championship 2015 held at Whistling Straits, Mosel, Kohler, Wisconsin, United States of America. 12/08/2015.
Picture Eoin Clarke, www.golffile.ie
After finding the middle of the 72nd fairway Monty seemingly let him himself get distracted by playing partner Vijay Singh taking what seemed an eternity to get a ‘ruling’. It led to second shot club indecision creeping into Monty’s mind so much so he eventually missed the green in what was a ‘bread-and-butter’ shot, and with Monty snatching defeat from the jaws of victory and allow another Aussie in Geoff Ogilvy steal U.S. Open success.
However the now double Champions Major winner will tee later today (THUR) celebrating his 21st PGA Championship and just as determined to claim a first Major among the under-50 brigade.
He said: “Let’s make this clear as I have not come here to Whistling Straits to make up the numbers as I am here to first make the halfway cut and put myself into contention.
“But foremost it’s nice to be playing in the regular Majors again even though my Major days are somewhat over.
“So it was nice to get the invitation to tee-up this week via my success on the Champions Tour, and also it will be nice to pit your wits against the current best players in the world, and if I should lose by 15 or 20 shots I will want to know why and from there you can go forward.”
Monty’s no stranger to Whistling Straits having contested 2004 and 2010 PGA Championship on the course laid out along the western shoreline of Lake Michigan.
He said: “Past course knowledge will be helpful but then in saying that I do feel I can do something special this week, and if I do make the cut I will take it from there.
“You do need to putt well around here and your short game has to be spot on around the greens but let’s not run before we can walk as making the cut is the first task, and the way I am playing of late I am quietly confident I can make it through to the weekend.”
Monty is among seven Scots in the field this week but in contrast to a decade ago when he was the Home of Golf’s leading player, the now 52-year old tees up ranked No. ?? in the world.
The distinction of ‘Top Scot’ rests with current No. 51 world ranked Marc Warren who Monty still fondly remembers partnering to World Cup of Golf success in 2007 at Mission Hills in China.
“It all goes well for Scottish golf we have seven players in the field this week and that’s certainly a lot more than in the days when we just had two or three,” he remarked.
“I see that Marc Warren is our top-ranked player and well done to him as I carried that title for some 15-years, and besides I always felt Marc had the potential to do well and that was apparent when we won the World Cup together.
“His career stop-started there for a while but now it’s taken off and he’s become a real world player now.”
