Monty resumes charge

Colin Montgomerie was quickly back into his stride when he switched from St Andrews to Kingsbarns for the third round of the Dunhill links championship.

One ahead of England’s Kenneth Ferrie after a superb 65 at the ‘home of golf’ yesterday – the average score in the windy conditions was almost 73.5 - Montgomerie doubled his lead with a birdie on the long third.

The hole was the one on which he had an albatross two three years ago, but a four did the Scot nicely and lifted him to 10 under par.

Ferrie, who pipped Montgomerie for the European Open at the K Club near Dublin in July, had yet to resume at St Andrews, but back at Kingsbarns 2002 winner Padraig Harrington also birdied the third to be five under and joint seventh.

The cut is made tonight to the top 60 professionals and top 20 teams in the celebrity pro-am, with the final round staged at St Andrews tomorrow and a first prize of almost £450,000 (€660,000) on offer.

That would lift seven-time European number one Montgomerie into second place on the Order of Merit behind Michael Campbell, absent this week just like Retief Goosen and Angel Cabrera, who are currently in second and third spots.

Montgomerie would also go to the head of the Ryder Cup points table and be well on his way to an eighth cap at the K Club next September.

Moreover, it would take him into the world’s top 20, having dropped last year from 41st to 81st.