Ryder Cup boost delights resurgent Monty
The standard may be rising on the European Tour, but Montgomerie's task looks a whole lot easier after his victory in the Dunhill Links Championship his first title for 19 months.
Results could hardly have gone better for European captain Ian Woosnam in the first month of the qualifying race, ahead of next September's match.
Sergio Garcia and Montgomerie, the two players who have given the Americans most problems in recent matches, have both won and Paul McGinley, another member of the last two sides, has also picked up a stack of points by finishing runner-up in the World Match Play at Wentworth.
At the age of 42, Montgomerie, who needed a wild card into the team last year, has re-ignited his career, coming second to Tiger Woods in the Open and now grabbing a birdie at the final hole at St Andrews to deny England's Kenneth Ferrie.
Both of those performances have come at the Home of Golf, making the pleasure all the greater.
A delighted Montgomerie said: "I said the next win would be the most important win of my career and it is. And for it to happen here makes it really special.
"It's been a long time and you don't know if the next win is going to come. I won seven order of merits and I would not say that was easy, but it was expected. Then it stops.
"My life changed dramatically a couple of years ago, but I was looking forward to coming back here so soon after the Open experience. I'm thrilled."
The first prize of almost £450,000 (€633,000) gives Montgomerie, who went through a painful divorce last year and saw his golf game suffer badly, a real chance to win his eighth order of merit title.
He stands second behind Michael Campbell with four weeks to go, the first of them featuring the American Express World Championship in California starting on Thursday.
"The standards are improving on this tour beyond belief. They're fitter and mentally tougher and here's me at 42 having to compete with that," said Montgomerie.
"So it's nice to go to San Francisco in the knowledge that I am still capable.
"I'm not worried about the order of merit I've got the T-shirt for that but the Ryder Cup points are crucial. I want to be part of the team at the K Club."
Montgomerie stands top of the Ryder Cup standings and has regained a place in the world's top 20 just nine months after slumping to 82nd.
He has already exceeded his hopes for the season, but he believes he can climb even higher.
"If I thought my best golf was behind me I would not enter tournaments," he said. "I would not bother I would go into other areas."
Ferrie, who pipped Montgomerie at the European Open in July, will always believe this tournament should have been his as well, but from five ahead with a round to go he slumped to a 77 in the wind and cold.
"To have been five in front and Colin to just shoot 71 to win is pretty poor," said the Northumberland player.
He three-putted seven times in his last 20 holes, the last of them from short of the final green when the two of them were tied.
"He gifted me a couple and I gifted him a couple and he was unlucky at the last. His drive kicked right and if it hadn't he would have made three."
Victory means Montgomerie has won at least once every season since 1992 and now has 38 titles to his name since turning professional 18 years ago.
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