MAJOR HOMECOMING FOR MONTY
Montgomerie gets to end Open play where he started
TROON, S COTLAND Colin Montgomerie took his first steps toward a career in golf at age 6 when he started hitting golf balls for the first time on the children’s course at Royal Troon.
A long stone’s throw from his childhood home, he quickly graduated to the municipal and Portland courses at the club where his father, James, was the secretary for more than 20 years and will soon become president.
Nearly a half decade later, Montgomerie could take the final steps of his British Open career on the Old Course at Royal Troon this week in the 145th edition of the oldest championship in golf.
Lured by the chance to play a home game in the Open and honor his father and a club where he is a member, Montgomerie amended his decision to end his career in the Open in 2010 at St Andrews. At 53, he clinched a spot in this year’s Open with rounds of 66 and 71 to earn the third and final qualifying spot at Gailes Links, where he told his father upon hearing he’d made the cut, “This one’s for you, Dad.”
And come Thursday, Montgomerie, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, a victorious European Ryder Cup captain and the winner of 49 professional titles around the world, including three senior major championships, will hit the opening tee shot of the tournament at 6:35 a.m. local time.
“It gets emotional in many ways,” Montgomerie said. “There’s not many pros here that have the opportunity to play an Open on their own course where they’re members of. So it’s a great honor, for one, and I take it as such. ...
“To hit the opening tee shot, it’s a great honor to have, and I treat it as such. And everything that happens after that first tee shot is a bonus, and I’m looking forward to walking the fairways. I’m just glad as a local and almost a host that the course is great, everything ’s set up in a very, very five-, six-star manner, and I’m very proud of it.”
Since playing what he thought was his last Open at the Home of Golf in 2010, bringing to an end a string of 21 consecutive starts in the championship, he has spent time in corporate tents and the commentary booth during the Open each year. He’ll still be com- mentating this week and will visit corporate tents, but he’ll have his hands full playing and taking care of his “golfing ” family.
“I’ve got to tell you, there’s family members I don’t even know I had. I think it’s due to the fact that they know I can get tickets, you know,” he said with a hearty laugh. “Yeah, yeah, my whole family is here. Very much a golfing family, and golf is No. 1. This is a big deal for the whole family, including myself.”
As for his chances this week, Montgomerie downplays them. He has made 12 starts this season, 11 on the Champions Tour, notching four top-10s. But with his lo- cal knowledge and inspiration from Tom Watson, who almost won the Open in 2009 at 59, and Vijay Singh, who almost won the Quicken Loans National this year at 53, Montgomerie isn’t throwing in the towel.
“If I play the way I did when I won the senior majors or I feel as if I’m playing as well as I did in 2005 when I finished second to Tiger (Woods) there at St Andrews, I don’t feel there is any difference,” said Montgomerie, who finished in ties for 24th and 25th the last two times the Open was played at Troon. “The only difference possibly is length. I’m not hitting the ball as far as I did in comparison to the others in 2005. But knowing my way around here and hitting the ball well off the tee and my irons into the greens, and knowing where to miss the shots, there’s no reason I can’t do well here.”
He said his goal was to make it to Sunday’s final round and walk down the 18th fairway.
“There’s no pressure on me anymore. I used to put pressure on myself when I was 2 in the world coming here and expectations were high. And there’s no pressure at 53 years old now. I’m just going to enjoy it and take every par, every birdie, if they come along, as a bonus.”