Montgomerie takes spectacular tumble

Colin Montgomerie let it be known what he thought of the pace of play as he tumbled spectacularly off the first-round leaderboard in the Daily Telegraph Dunlop Masters at the Forest of Arden today.

“Five-and-a-half hours is an hour too long,” said the 41-year-old after a closing triple bogey seven meant he had to settle for a level par 72.

“I would not say it affected my concentration, but it became very, very slow. Not only for us, but for the spectators alike.”

Montgomerie would have been part of a five-way tie at the top but for a closing triple bogey seven on the 476-yard ninth, where he was in trouble off the tee, in a bunker for three and then three-putted from little more than three feet.

It left English quartet David Howell, Brian Davis, David Lynn and Ben Mason sharing top spot on a day when a testing wind made the course record of 63 held by Montgomerie and Ian Poulter look like the stuff of dreams.

Howell, who led after an opening 66 last year, did get to four under after five holes, but for that he had chipped in and holed a 50-foot putt and after 12 pars in a row he slipped at the 211-yard last, failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker.

Montgomerie commented: “The ninth is probably the most difficult hole, but it’s not ’seven’ difficult.

Asked if he had spoken to any officials on the course about the slow play, the Scot replied: “No – I’ve had my fill of referees for now.”

That was a reference to the fact he has come under fire from fellow players unhappy about his replacing of a ball during the Indonesian Open in March.

There has been no punishment imposed for what happened there, but the tournament committee – of which he is a member – expressed “dissatisfaction” with him on Tuesday evening even though he has donated his £24,000 prize money for fourth place to the tsunami appeal after seeing the video of the incident.

The European tour’s chief referee John Paramor said that while it is accepted Montgomerie acted inadvertently he would have been penalised two shots if it had come to light at the time – or disqualified if he had already signed his scorecard.

Montgomerie, twice a winner at the Forest of Arden and the joint course record holder with a 63 from eight years ago, is desperate to climb from his current 54th position in the world into the top 50 by the end of the month to avoid having to qualify for next month’s US Open.

He was paired today with two more of last September’s European heroes in Detroit, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood.

Not for the first time Poulter caught the eye for what he was wearing – all white with one leg of his trousers bearing the red English cross of St George.

It did not inspire him, though. He bogeyed four of the first six holes, got back to level par, but then double-bogeyed the sixth and bogeyed the last for a 75.

Westwood did worse, finishing with a double bogey six for a 76.

There was a joke shared between Montgomerie and Westwood on the 11th. The Worksop golfer pushed his drive into the rough and, with Poulter over the other side in sand, Westwood asked Montgomerie to judge whose turn it was to play.

“Sure – I’m good on the rules,” he answered with a smile.

On the matter of slow play tournament director Miguel Vidaor stated: “It has been a very tough day at the office and the players responded to our every request to keep to our strict guidelines.

“Two holes in particular, the sixth and the ninth, caused the delay with very strong head winds.”

Davis bogeyed both to turn in 37, but with an eagle on the 12th and three closing birdies he was home in 32 on his first appearance in Europe this year. The Londoner won the US Tour qualifying school last December and has already earned approaching £400,000.

“I’ve been playing awesome from tee to green the last four weeks and my putting has let me down. Today I putted really well, but just couldn’t it. It was awful,” he said.

Howell has also been competing in the States – and struggling apart from a brilliant debut in the Masters, where he led for a while and finished 11th.

“I played the tough holes really well, but let myself down a little bit on the par fives by not hitting it on the fairways.” He parred them all.

Lynn, who had his first European victory in Holland last August, and Mason, who was down for a Challenge Tour event in Italy until he received an invitation a week ago, both had six birdies, but also three bogeys.

“It’s nice to be back playing on home soil,” said Lynn, from Stoke-on-Trent, while Leeds 28-year-old Mason, who last year lost his card and then got it back at the qualifying school, commented: “It’s been a bit of a struggle finding my feet again, but hopefully I can get it going this week.”

Nobody got through the round without at least one dropped shot, Darren Clarke taking 74, Paul Casey 73 and Paul McGinley 72.

Amateur prospects Rory McIlroy, from Ireland, and Jordan Findlay struggled on their European tour debuts, the two teenagers scoring 82 and 83 respectively.