Faldo feels for Monty

Nick Faldo will fully appreciate what Colin Montgomerie is going through when they play together in the first round of the British Masters at the Forest of Arden tomorrow.

For Montgomerie it will be his first appearance since the announcement last week that he and wife Eimear, the parents of three young children, are separating and planning to divorce.

He did not even take part in the curtain-raising pro-am, but manager Guy Kinnings was at the Coventry course and confirmed that the 40-year-old Scot, winner of the title six years ago, would definitely be playing in the £1.6m (€2.4m) tournament.

Former Ryder Cup partner Faldo, married three times, stated today: “All I can say is that I do know what it feels like.”

He declined to make further comment for fear of it becoming a tabloid headline, but did add that he had found it “very difficult” to concentrate fully on golf when in the situation Montgomerie now confronts.

Faldo had a Ryder Cup to contend with during the break-up of his second marriage and yet still became a hero of the 1997 victory at Oak Hill.

There is more than a first prize of £266,660 (€393,500) at stake for the two former winners of the title – Montgomerie at the same course in 1998 and Faldo at Woburn back in 1989 when he was the reigning US Masters champion.

Neither is exempt for next month’s United States Open at present and while Montgomerie is hoping to earn a spot by staying in the world’s top 50 for three more weeks.

He is currently 45th. Faldo is down in 114th spot and is weighing up whether to enter the qualifying tournament at Lake Nona in Florida.

“It depends how good my form is,” said the 46-year-old, unable to shine even in China last week at the tournament from which Montgomerie withdrew at short notice.

Lee Westwood is in the same three-ball as Faldo and Montgomerie for the first two rounds of the tournament, now sponsored by the Daily Telegraph and Damovo and, like stablemate Darren Clarke, will be unveiling a slimmer figure to the British sporting public.

While Clarke has lost 44 pounds in the last seven months, Westwood tips the scales over two stones lighter than the 17-stone hulk he was at Christmas.

So serious is the 31-year-old that he has signed a two-year sponsorship deal with meat-free company Quorn – and has become a convert.

“Obviously if I am in the Ryder Cup team when September comes around then this will be a massive benefit,” said Westwood, who reads a lot into the fact that, again like Clarke, he has yet to win a singles match against the Americans.

“They are long weeks and they do take it out of you. I’ve not sat out a session in my three matches and I’ve always felt very tired come the end of them.

“I saw what Darren was doing fitness-wise and I’ve felt like I needed to do something for a long time. I’ve always liked to eat a lot – and I can now without putting weight on.

“The problem with other diets I’ve tired is that you can’t eat much, but you can with this.”

Westwood, whose wife Laurae is expecting their second child three weeks before the Ryder Cup, is back with Scottish caddie John Graham, with whom he had his first professional victory at the 1996 Scandinavian Masters, while his previous bag-man Pete Coleman has switched to Clarke.

“I’m excited about working with him,” said the Ulsterman, fully aware of the success Coleman had not only with Westwood at the end of last season, but also with Bernhard Langer over two decades.

“He can only help me. It’s only been practice rounds so far, but his ability to club me has been very, very good.

“My course management has never been one of my strongest points – and I think he’ll be reading all of my putts after my performance today!”

In the absence of Padraig Harrington, who is currently in the Far East, world number nine Retief Goosen is the highest-ranked player on view.

The field also includes Paul Casey, sixth on his debut in the Masters a month ago, and 1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie, who has just parted from long-time coach Adam Hunter.