Golf

Monty's win a turning point

By BOB HARIG
Published October 4, 2005

The wind blew in off the sea, causing flagsticks to flutter, keeping golf balls from their intended path. Some players were so cold, they wore ski caps and gloves. Ah, golf in Scotland.

If only there could have been a day or two of it in July at the British Open.

Golf returned to the Old Course at St. Andrews over the weekend, where native son Colin Montgomerie captured his first title of the year and 29th of his European PGA Tour career at the Dunhill Links Championship.

Monty began the final round five strokes behind, trailing just as he had in July at the British Open. The difference, of course, was that during the Open, he chased Tiger Woods , who had a three-shot advantage and went on to claim his second Claret Jug. This time Monty pursued Englishman Kenneth Ferrie , who helped the cause greatly with a final-round 77.

Montgomerie, 42, was hardly apologizing. The victory was an important one to the seven-time European money winner, although it had nothing to do with moving him to second on the list behind U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell .

"I said the next win would be the most important of my career, and it is," Montgomerie said after making birdie on the final hole to win by a stroke over Ferrie.

Asked why, Montgomerie replied that in winning seven consecutive money titles through 1999, it was almost expected.

"And then it stops, and then my life changed dramatically a couple of years ago," he said. "And I always said to myself, the next win would be the most important of my career. And it is. And especially being here."

Montgomerie has played at the Old Course since he was a junior, but never experienced much success on the layout until this year, when he challenged Woods during the final round of the Open and then won on Sunday.

It was just his second European victory in Scotland, the only other one coming in 1999.

The Dunhill tournament is much like the PGA Tour's Pebble Beach Pro-Am, played over three courses with amateurs for the first three rounds. The other venues are Carnoustie, home of the Open in 1999 and again in 2007, and Kingsbarns, a seaside links just up the road from St. Andrews. Montgomerie shot 65 at St. Andrews on Friday while others struggled to break par in the frigid conditions.

Unlike the American version of the pro-am, the Scots don't seem to care much for watching celebrities play. Montgomerie's partner for the first three rounds was actor Michael Douglas . Admission was free. Only on Sunday, when the focus was more on the individual competition, did they charge to enter at the Old Course, where spectators lined the fairways.

It was a fitting setting for Montgomerie, who jumped to 16th in the Official World Golf Ranking. He returns to the United States this week for the American Express Championship, a World Golf event to be played in San Francisco.

"I was not prepared to go any lower than 83rd in the world," said Montgomerie, noting where he began the year. "I gave myself a goal of 25th, and to beat this so far is even remarkable for me. I'm thrilled about that. I had to do something about it. There were two options. I was sliding, I let it slide, or get off one's bum and do something about it. And I did."

AGELESS IRWIN: Hale Irwin 's win Sunday at the SAS Championship was his fourth this year on the Champions Tour, his second since turning 60 in June. With 44 victories, he has 15 more than Lee Trevino in senior tour history. Irwin, who won the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am in February, has won at least four times in six of his 11 Champions Tour seasons.

LOCALLY: Clearwater's John Huston was unable to hold the 36-hole lead at the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, but his tie for 17th was good for $72,500 and moved him from 127th to 115th on the PGA Tour money list. ... Bradenton's Paul Azinger tied for 34th in Greensboro and needs a big push to avoid using an exemption for the top 50 all-time money-earners. Azinger is 185th on the money list. ... Belleair's Greg Kraft remained in 21st on the Nationwide Tour money list, less than $3,000 out of 20th. The top 20 players at the end of the season earn a promotion to the PGA Tour. Four tournaments remain, including the Nationwide Tour Championship. ... Seminole's Brittany Lincicome has missed three straight cuts heading into the last full-field event of the year this week at the Longs Drugs Challenge.

[Last modified October 4, 2005, 02:15:30]