Monty still harbours major ambition

A REJUVENATED Colin Montgomerie still believes he can win a major and is desperate for the new season to start so he can prove how much his game has improved.

The 42-year-old Scot won a record eighth Order of Merit title on Sunday, six years after his last triumph, and the confidence gained from that has convinced him he can challenge for golf's elite trophies.

Montgomerie has finished a frustrating second in a major four times, the last being in July when he was five shots behind a rampant world number one Tiger Woods in the British Open at St Andrews.

Previously he lost out to Ernie Els in a play-off for the 1994 US Open at Oakmont and was also runner-up to Els in the US Open in 1997 at Congressional. He was also defeated in sudden death by Steve Elkington for the US PGA at Riviera in 1995.

However, after probably his greatest achievement in securing an eighth Order of Merit title after so long in the wilderness, the Ryder Cup star is determined to break his duck in the majors.

"I am very ambitious and this year has given me added drive and ambition to win a major," he said.

"I will go to the Masters with added confidence. I'm just very keen to get going in these majors to prove I can do this, not just to myself but everyone else.

"I never thought I would win the Order of Merit again after a six-year gap - you feel that it won't come back and I'm delighted it has.

"If I played another sport - football, tennis, rugby - I would be finished at 30 so I'm lucky to be on top again at 42 so let's hope I can sustain it."

Montgomerie has risen to 15th in the world rankings - he would have broken into the top 10 with a win at the season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama at the weekend.

That is a remarkable achievement considering he was 84th in January with his game apparently in the doldrums.

But now he has renewed focus as, the majors aside, he has the Ryder Cup to look forward to at the K Club next September - an event in which he is always an inspirational figure - and a return to the world's top 10 is tantalisingly within his grasp.

"Let's hope I can play one more Ryder Cup at least and then try to get back in the top 10 in the world," he said.

"I'm 15th and I started the year 83rd so that has been a great move and hopefully I can stay there as long as I can."

Montgomerie also again hinted he wants to eventually become Ryder Cup captain, having already been linked to the job in 2010 at Celtic Manor in Wales.

Ian Woosnam will lead the side at the K Club with Nick Faldo given the honours for the 2008 event at Valhalla in Kentucky.

"Not many improve in their 40s so hopefully I can play at least one more Ryder Cup and we will see what happens from there," he said.

"I hope I can help the team in other ways."

Montgomerie has often been criticised for his fiery temper and grumpy demeanour on the course but he claimed he was not as bad as he is portrayed.

"All golfers lose the plot too easily. It is the craziest game in the world. Just when you hit a good shot you think you have cracked this game and the next one is abysmal," he said.

"We all lose the plot sometimes but whether I get angry with myself or not the next shot is taken with 100% concentration and effort.

"I don't lose the plot as much as people think I do."