MONTY STILL DREAMS OF US OPEN VICTORY

IF you have a spare tenner to wager on the US Open and you are swithering between the embattled Tiger Woods and strutting seniors champ Colin Montgomerie, then help is at hand. ‘I would keep it with Tiger!’ said Monty with a roar of laughter, the Scot shying away from any thought of finally adding a ‘proper’ major title to his senior wins this week. That does not mean he is turning up simply for the ceremony, though, with the Ryder Cup legend insisting that some words of praise from long-serving caddie Alastair McLean have put a spring in his step. Referring to the recent successful defence of his USPGA Seniors title, he revealed: ‘On the way home from Indiana, we drove up to Chicago and Alastair said: “That was as good as you have ever played.” ‘He thought Congressional in 1997 (where Monty finished runner-up in the US Open) was the best I had ever played — and he said this was right behind it. ‘That was 18 years ago, coming from a caddie who really understands, and I like to think would give a fair appraisal. ‘That’s very encouraging and it really boosted my confidence.’ Asked if it would be madness to consider him contending for the title, Montgomerie said: ‘A good question. No, it’s not. I don’t think so. ‘Chambers Bay, the way it is set up, links aside, it gives me more of an opportunity than it would if it were a wet, 7,500-yard course. Of course it’s a possibility. Realistic? Possibly not. ‘But if I can start off and not be over at the turn in the first round, and I can get the bit between my teeth, well why not?’ Of all the majors to have slipped away, Montgomerie pinpoints Winged Foot nine years ago, when he blew his lead from the middle of the fairway on the 72nd hole, as the most painful. ‘Winged Foot in 2006 was the only one I felt I left out there,’ he admitted. ‘In 1994, I did OK to get to the play-off. I was still very young at that stage and I let the play-off slip. ‘In 1997, I did play very well but I just didn’t hole the putts over the weekend. ‘But 2006 was the one. A four would have won it and it was almost too easy. ‘From where I was off the tee, I think I won shot of the month for the tee shot — but I didn’t win anything for the second. Oh dear.’