Mickelson, Woods and Furyk the ones to beat, says Monty

COLIN MONTGOMERIE has never been one to down play his own prospects or boosting those of his rivals.

But when he stated at Carnoustie yesterday that the leading players in the world, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk are “the three you always have to beat”, you sense that he doesn’t hold out a great deal of hope for either himself or the other Europeans of ending the eight-year hiatus since Paul Lawrie kept the claret jug on this side of the Atlantic.

“This week we have Tiger Woods going for three wins in a row and not many have done that,” he asserted. “It’s amazing how they’re able to adapt their games to these very different conditions. We used to have a more dominating position in this championship but not now. You have Woods and Mickelson and then Jim Furyk, you must always remember him, he’s a very underrated player whom I rate very highly. They’re always the players to beat.”

Like most others, Montgomerie is at a loss to understand why the Europeans aren’t faring a whole lot better in the Open.

He suspects one explanation is the absence these days of golfers of the calibre of Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam and Jose-Maria Olazabal.

Seve was the man to put an end to a European sense of inferiority back in the 1980s and Monty’s hope is that once somebody ends the drought that others will be inspired to keep the trend going.

“Something like 32 majors have taken place since the last one here without a European win and that’s incredible,’’ he mused. “When we were winning majors in Europe, I think there were only Freddie Couples and Greg Norman in the top eight who weren’t European.

“Now there are one or two struggling to get into the top ten. It’s a very different scenario. The top players are either American or non-European and that’s why we possibly haven’t won.

“We need the likes of a Seve or a Langer or a new Faldo or Lyle to come through, a real world beater if you like as those guys were. Who says it won’t happen this week and then go forward from there?

“There’s a few names from our Ryder Cup team that you think would come through eventually who haven’t done so as yet. It is about time a European was successful in a major championship.”

What about Monty himself, then, the winner of eight European Tour orders of merit and a five times runner-up in the majors? Did he ever believe he was a “world beater” or that he could become one?

“Oh no, not a world beater,” he stressed. “A world beater is someone who wins many, many majors and I haven’t. I’ve come very close, I’ve done okay, five seconds, but I never classified myself as that.”

Montgomerie’s golf of late has been as enigmatic as his personality. Two weeks ago, he battled his way through awful conditions at The K Club to capture the Smurfit European Open, his first title in 16 months, but then missed the cut immediately afterwards in his own Scottish Open. At 44, it hardly seems possible that he could win a major and while he argues the point, he doesn’t do so with a whole lot of conviction.

“I hope I’m still in my prime,’’ he said. “As long as you keep your circle of flexibility with your back, you can keep going. People say coming up to 44 is seniors golf time but that doesn’t interest me. When I’m 51, 52 and capable of playing, I’ll be out here. Just because you’re 50 doesn’t mean you have to play the Seniors Tour.

“I won ten days ago, I’ve just beaten 155 other competitors. It’s not a bad effort. Vijay Singh is four months older than me and he hasn’t come here to do anything other than win. And I’m here for the very same reason. Forty-four is not a problem in golf terms, not at all. I’m playing as well tee to green as I have for many, many years. What I need to do now is accelerate more through the putts. Carnoustie being the venue gives me a great opportunity. But the start is very important for me and so also is being lucky with the weather.”