Monty: Rory a PGA cert
The Scot believes the window of opportunity has closed for Woods in his bid to break Jack Nicklaus’ Major record of 18. But he believes that McIlroy may have a chance over the next five years to emerge as the man most likely to surpass the Golden Bear, especially if he produces his A game in Louisville.
“If Rory plays his best at Valhalla, there’s one winner and it’s the same guy that won the Open,” Montgomerie said. “If he plays the way that he can, he is better than everyone else.”
With three Major wins in four years, McIlroy is on track to become the greatest of all time. Can he become an 18 or 19-time Major winner?
“Talk to me again in three or four years when he’s got to 10 Majors and then we’ll see,” Montgomerie said. “But there’s nothing stopping Rory McIlroy getting to 10 Majors in three or four years, nothing at all, he’s that good.
“I think if you had money, you’d put it on [Rory] to win in Valhalla. I wouldn’t worry about the each-way bet.
“I’m as confident of Rory winning at Valhalla as I was in one of Tiger’s victories in 2000 when he won four Majors in a row. Is he unstoppable? Well, if he plays well and plays in that relaxed way he did at the Open I’m convinced he’ll win at Valhalla. ”
With the next few Majors coming at Augusta National, Chambers Bay and St Andrews, McIlroy could complete the career Grand Slam at the Masters and make it five Major wins at the US Open and five in a row at the Home of Golf.
“Well, he’s that good,” Montgomerie said. “We are very, very fortunate that we have someone that’s performing the way that he is and it’s great for Irish golf.
“That’s the eighth Major that the Irish have won, it’s amazing really what Ireland has done over the last years and he is continuing that but he will take it forward, he will take it on and I think everyone would agree.
“You see that Open performance, there’s nobody that can say otherwise.”
Montgomerie is convinced that the Woods’ era of dominance is well and truly over given the level of competition at the top.
Not only that, Montgomerie believes that Woods must be honest with US skipper Tom Watson and sit out the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, if he feels he can’t contribute.
Believing there is no longer enough time for Woods, 39 in December, to match or even beat the Golden Bear’s haul, Montgomerie said: “I think he’s passed that timeframe.
“The timeframe to win 19 Majors was over the last two years, I said that on Sky Sports when I’ve been doing these things.
“And is Tiger getting any better? That’s the thing, Tiger has to get better from where he was to win 19 Majors and I can’t see that improvement from where he was in the year 2000, which was damn near perfect.
“So to answer your question, I don’t think he is going to get to 19, he might get to 15, he might get to 16. Nineteen? Doubtful, doubtful.”
Woods is struggling to recover quickly enough from back surgery, possibly complicated by yesterday’s injury at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, to even make the US Ryder Cup team.
And Montgomerie believes that not only Woods but Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter must start to show form soon as Gleneagles looms in 51 days’ time.
Should Tom Watson hand Woods a wildcard?Montgomerie believes it’s a two-way street.
“Tom Watson’s got three picks and he won’t be sentimental in any of them,” the Scot said. “He has got to go to Tiger and say, ‘Do you feel that you will help my team get to 14½ points?’
“If Tiger Woods says yes to that, can you pick three guys ahead of him? Can you honestly pick three guys and leave him out if he says to you he is ready and prepared to give it everything for the cause? I don’t think you can, I think you’ve got to pick him.”
As for Poulter, considered a certainty to get one of Paul McGinley’s three wildcards, Monty is unsure that the Englishman’s passion will be enough against the US if he’s not playing well.
“The Brazilians thought they could win the World Cup on passion and emotion. Well, unfortunately they forgot to play football and Poulter has certainly got the passion and the emotion, more than anyone. But he has got to show a little bit of form for Paul McGinley to say, ‘Come in here’.”
* The US PGA Championship and The 2014 Ryder Cup will both be live on Sky Sports.
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