MONTY CALLS FOR EUROPEAN MAJOR WIN

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July 11, 2007

Colin Montgomerie, full of confidence after winning the Euro Open, declared: “It’s time”. Time, that is, for a European to win a major.

Colin Montgomerie, full of confidence after winning the European Open on Sunday, today declared: “It’s time”.
Time, that is, for a European to win a major.
And if it cannot be him in the Open at Carnoustie next week Montgomerie has picked Padraig Harrington and Paul Casey as the two most likely.
The 44-year-old Scot’s win in Dublin ended 19 barren months and now the focus is on trying to end Europe’s eight years without major success.
“I think we have more players capable of it than ever before. The whole Ryder Cup team are capable, but some are more capable than others and if you are looking for a couple then Harrington and Casey would be my picks.”
Those two have chosen not to compete in this week’s Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, but there is still stiff competition for Montgomerie – Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Sergio Garcia, Angel Cabrera and Luke Donald to name just six.
“You would have got a lot of money on Angel Cabrera and Zach Johnson winning the first two majors of the year,” added the eight-time European number one.
“So it is possible to beat Tiger. But he won the last two of last year and he might well go and do the same again.
“Let’s hope not – let’s hope we have European success sooner rather than later.
“We spoke of the Ryder Cup last September as the strongest we’ve ever had. Now is the time – time we turned our Ryder Cup success into major championship success.
“We’ve won five of the last six Ryder Cups and yet we haven’t won a major (since Paul Lawrie’s triumph at Carnoustie in 1999).
“It seems unbelievable that one of the team can’t come through. At the Ryder Cup the word ‘major’ isn’t mentioned, mainly because it’s negative.
“We try to be positive and talk about old Ryder Cups.”
Although golfers rarely win two weeks in a row and hardly ever win three weeks in a row Montgomerie insists he will be doing all he can to lift another trophy this Sunday.
“”The Scottish Open stands on its own two feet. A win would put me top of the Order of Merit and, after being 33 a couple of weeks ago, that’s a bit of an effort.”