Colin Montgomerie contests this week’s Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic missing the camaraderie, the banter, and his friends from two decades ago.
Monty was 29-years old when he made his Dubai debut in 1989 and after being runner-up in 1995 to Fred Couples, who had won the Masters three years early, Monty broke through winning the 1996 Desert title. It was the Scot’s 10th of 31 victories on the European Tour.
Monty competed each year until 2014, a year after he turned 50, and then headed to an over-50s tour. He returned to Dubai in both 2018 and 2019, and when son Cameron caddied but missed the cut on both occasions.
All up, Monty’s had a win and four other top-10s in Dubai, and all in a five-year run from 1995 to 1999.
Monty’s picture, along with all 33 winners is up high on the back of the corporate enclosure lining the back of the adjoining ninth and 18th hole greens, and with the ‘Wall of champions’ overlooking the practice putting green and in full view on the outdoor area of the unique Bedouin tent-style clubhouse.
He said: “I’m honoured seeing a picture of myself up there as the 1996 champion and it was good because Couples had beaten me in ’95 by a shot, so to come back and win it the next year, so it’s always good to do that.
“So, yes it’s great seeing my name and picture up there. It’s an iconic venue and everyone wants to win here. The Desert Classic also has been a mainstay on the Tour for so many years, and even coming back this year, I’m amazed at how it’s grown not only in terms of who is playing but the number of corporate enclosures, grandstand seating, and other amenities.
“Though Dubai has changed so much when I came here for the first time, the golf course was in the middle of the desert. You could walk across Sheik Zayed Road back then was only two lanes, and look at it now. It’s eight lanes each way.
“The city itself just continues to grow and it would be great to come back when Dubai is finished but then, they’re still building the bloody place. I don’t know whether they are going to stop building here”.
Monty’s the oldest in this year’s field, and seven years the senior of 51-year-old Thomas Bjorn who shocked Tiger Woods winning by two shots here in 2001.
And being the senior player in this week’s £5.8m field, he’s clearly missing the ‘characters’ he shared with the fairways of Europe in the ‘90s.
Monty said: “There’s no real characters on the Tour now, and it seems it’s not the way it was. When I was playing with guys like Sam Torrance, Richard Boxall, Derrick Cooper, and myself, in a way. There were the Irish guys like Christy O’Connor, Des Smyth and Eamon Darcy, and we had Woosie and there were other Scots like Sandy, Gordon Brand Jnr now sadly not with us.
“Hell, there was a young fella in the Yas Links locker room last week spread out on the floor undertaking stretching exercises. Imagine Sam (Torrance) doing that at his prime. It never happened (laughing).
“The good thing was Scottish players were winning pretty regularly with the likes of Stevie Gallacher, Gary Orr, Scott Drummond, Andy Oldcorn, a young Andy Coltart, and Paul Lawrie establishing himself on the Tour. They were good times for Scottish golf.
“Then all this money became involved. It’s the evil word ‘money’.
“However, Scottish men’s golf is in good hands with Robert MacIntyre, Connor Syme, Calum Hill, Grant Forrest and we had Scott Jamieson going so close last week so it’s a great crop now carrying on”.
And Monty expressed his surprise with MacIntyre and failing to qualify for last year’s European Ryder Cup team, and echoing Padraig Harrington’s sentiments when the Whistling Straits captain was asked about MacIntyre’s quest to earn a first-team cap.
Monty said: “If Robert is going to play in the Ryder Cup he needs to go to that next level. He does. He has to do it this year. Why he went off to the States playing the KornFerry Tour, I will never know. It was a very strange decision when he could have been at home trying to win in Europe.
“Yes, it’s fine he should be seeking his PGA Tour card but I felt it was important he should have been focussing more on the Ryder Cup than chasing his card.
“Then he got to Wentworth and missed the cut. Robert is clearly very talented and he just needs that next victory. He’s had the first win and I’m sure once he gets that second, he’ll be off and running more”.
