Golf

Despite loss, Monty back in crowd favor

By BOB HARIG
Published July 18, 2005

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland - He has been both saluted and scorned by people who have watched his life play out.

Colin Montgomerie has for years been Scotland's best golfer, a mighty moniker in a country that prides itself as being the home of the sport.

The fact they have built him up and torn him down has made for a sometimes unpleasant existence.

But after several years of lackluster golfand a very public divorce that played out quite prominently in the British tabloids, all is right again in Monty's world.

He failed to win Sunday at the Old Course, finishing second to Tiger Woods by five strokes.

It didn't seem to matter.

"The crowd was phenomenal all the way around," said Montgomerie, 42, whose runnerup finish was his first in a major since the 1997 U.S. Open. "Even when they realized I wasn't going to win, they realized my job in hand was to try to finish second. And they helped me to that cause.

"Looking back, I've thoroughly enjoyed this week and competing again at this level. ... It's nice having a little bit of a resurgence now after three years, really, in the wilderness."

Montgomerie has 28 victories on the European PGA Tour and has won won its money title seven times.

But he never has won a major championship, twice the hard-luck loser in playoffs, to Ernie Els at the 1994 U.S Open and to Steve Elkington at the 1995 PGA Championship.

For all his talents as a golfer, he has been known as much for all the fodder in the tabloids, his relatively poor record at the Open (this was just his second top 10), his run-ins with the press, rabbit ears with fans and even a cheating allegation this year at a tournament in Indonesia.

Perhaps the flaws make him a sympathetic figure at home, and there they were to support Monty, who for a time appeared poised to overtake Woods. An eagle putt at the ninth hole that would have tied for the lead just missed and he remained a stroke behind through 10 holes.

But bogeys at the 11th and 13th meant no major victory. It was then a matter of fighting for second.

"I'm taking lots of positives this week," he said. "I was within one of the turn from Tiger. I gave a great effort, and of course I feel that I'm starting the next major now full of confidence to know that I'm capable of doing well.

"I started the year 83rd in the world and I wanted to get back into the top 25 this year, which was a big goal. And I'll be closer to that. It's all positive. I'm encouraged by it."

[Last modified July 18, 2005, 01:38:10]