Don't bother try break Euro record, says Monty

Colin Montgomerie has offered a word of warning to anybody wanting to break his most cherished record of seven successive European Order of Merit titles - don't bother.

Colin Montgomerie today offered a word of warning to anybody wanting to break his most cherished record of seven successive European Order of Merit titles.

“One, good luck to them. Two, be very careful,” said Montgomerie on the eve of the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.

“If anybody wants to try to break it I suggest they have a chat with me – and I’ll tell them not to bother.

“What I achieved in those infamous seven years broke me and aided breaking a marriage. I wish in a way that Sam (Torrance) had actually beaten me in 1995.”

The two Scots came down to a last-round shoot-out in the Volvo Masters at Valderrama and Montgomerie had to play the final nine holes in one under to retain the number one spot.

He birdied the short 12th and parred his way in.

Montgomerie finally handed over the crown in 2000, but by then the strains were showing and in April this year he and wife Eimaer separated with a view to divorce.

For the first two months after that the normally outspoken Ryder Cup star became a shadow of his former self, Padraig Harrington describing him as “half the man he was” when they were paired together in a tournament in Germany.

Not surprisingly, his world ranking has suffered and he goes into this week down in 71st position, his lowest since the start of the 1990s.

But last week began with him qualifying for next week’s British Open championship at his home club Royal Troon and he said: “Things changed a lot in my life on that day.”

He still feels that despite a second round 82 in the European Open at the K Club near Dublin last Friday and commented: “I’m hitting the ball very well and if I get the odd putt in I will start contending again very quickly.”

Montgomerie also feels he has suffered at the British Open in the past because both of the expectations on him and the fact that it follows the Scottish Open, an event he feels he has to play in.

“This time I’m going into the (British) Open as a qualifier and I’m a lot more relaxed on the course and off it.

“Golf is not the be-all and end-all and there’s less pressure and less attention on me. Possibly it makes me more dangerous next week.”

Montgomerie is paired in the first two rounds with defending champion and favourite Ernie Els – the man who twice denied him a US Open title – and Lee Westwood, joint second last week.