Colin Montgomerie repents his loss in the 1997 US Open and the number one title
Englishman Colin Montgomerie will perhaps be the most unfortunate man at the beginning of this week’s US Open after he failed to make it into the field of the second major of the season. Last year’s European Ryder-Cup captain tried on several occasions to
get through the qualifying as well as through his strong finish at the Wentworth last month, but all his efforts came to a grief.
Considered as England’s most notable golfer of contemporary times, Montgomerie’s major bids have always been a source of disappointment as the golfer has finished runner-up for a staggering five times in his career.
Montgomerie is a little concerned with his absence in the US open this week but something which has been more disappointing for the 47-year-old is the fact that he was never able to make it to the summit of the world rankings. Montgomerie remained number
two on the world rankings for a whole year, trailing Greg Norman, but his wait was crushed with Tiger Woods' rise to the top.
"The leading player in the world - that would have been a big deal, almost a bigger deal than winning a major to me at the time," said Montgomerie.
Majors of the sport have been the most elusive for Montgomerie and no matter how hard he tried to grab one, he fell short of few shots to achieve the title. Turning professional in 1987, he went over to win a whopping 40 professional titles, most of them
coming on the European Tour. He led the European Ryder Cup team last year to a successful finish at Celtic Manor.
Montgomerie has three-time runner-up finishes in the US Open in 1994, 1997 and 2006. He had to trail the leader on two other occasions at the Open Championship in 2005 and the PGA Championship in 1995.
Whatever have been the causes of his slump in the majors, 1997 US open has been one event which haunts Montgomerie to this day. The eight-time European Order of Merit winner, caved into the immense pressure of the final round with an over-par 76, providing
enough space for Ernie Els to romp to a big win.
"What disappointed me that week more than anything was that I was third in the world, and if I had won that event then I was first in the world," Montgomerie recalled the final round of US open in 1997. "If you are number one at anything in the world, if
you are the best in the world at anything, that is a big statement."
Montgomerie will be taking up a seat in the commentary box for this weekend at the Congressional, something he has always enjoyed doing.
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